Military satellite communications: concerns with Milstar's support to strategic and tactical forces: report to the chairman

Original publisher: Washington, D.C. (P.O. Box 37050, Washington, D.C. 20013) : The Office, [1998]. OCLC Number: (OCoLC)41985575 Subject: Artificial satellites in telecommunication -- United States. Excerpt: ... B-278426 DOD disagreed with our recommendation in the draft report that the Agency Comments Secretary of Defense provide the necessary directions to the military and Our Evaluation services and commands for ( 1 ) resolving the disagreements over operational requirements, ( 2 ) ensuring the availability of necessary software, ( 3 ) completing the certification process for interoperable equipment and software, and ( 4 ) managing the difficulties in developing the automated communications management system. DOD stated that although our draft report was essentially correct in describing Milstar issues during the 1997 operational test period, additional Secretary of Defense directions to resolve these issues are unnecessary. claimed DOD that the issues were being resolved and corrective actions were being DOD taken through standard processes and procedures associated with developing and fielding new capabilities. For example, mentioned DOD general officer level forums that were ( 1 ) providing ongoing oversight of operational, programmatic, and management issues affecting Milstar and ( 2 ) tracking issues to fulfill Secretary of Defense guidance for the transition of strategic users to Milstar by 2003. In acknowledging the Milstar I issues identified during operational testing, DOD emphasized that the Milstar system passed 14 of 17 threshold parameters. However, according to operational test officials, these parameters were more representative of system specifications than operational requirements that would permit a judgment about Milstar's support to strategic mission areas. DOD identified several matters that remain to be resolved for achieving an effective strategic and tactical communications system. The matters were ( 1 ) funding for voice conferencin...