GAO questions DoD electronic warfare oversight

Both the Defense Department's 2010 and 2011 reports to Congress on electronic warfare only partially addressed the department's strategy--leaving out key information on resources, investments, risk management, organizational roles, responsibilities and coordination, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Despite incomplete reports, DoD has identified and addressed a critical electronic warfare management gap by establishing the Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Control Center under U.S. Strategic Command as the focal point for joint electronic warfare, finds a July 9 GAO report (.pdf).

However, DoD still needs to define the center's specific objectives, as well as metrics for measuring progress. It also needs to update the two primary documents for departmentwide oversight of electronic warfare, says GAO. The documents still place responsibility for electronic warfare under other offices and use outdated definitions of electronic warfare, according to the report.

The December 2008 and April 2011 versions of DoD Directive 3222.4, "Electronic Warfare and Command and Control Warfare Countermeasures," assign Strategic Command responsibility for advocating for joint electronic warfare capabilities, says the report.

The current version of DoD Directive 3600.01, "Information Operations," makes the under secretary of Defense for intelligence the principal staff advisor to the secretary of defense for information operations, which includes electronic warfare, finds GAO. A January 2011 memo from the Defense secretary, however, requests a revision to update roles and responsibilities in the directive, and an update is now underway, say authors.

The GAO recommends DoD improve future electronic warfare reports to Congress by including performance measures, key investments and resources, and organizational roles and responsibilities; define objectives and issue an implementations plan for the Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Control Center; and update departmental guidance. In a response to the report, DoD Undersecretary of Defense for Policy James Miller generally concurred with the recommendations but disagreed that performance measures should be included in future reports to Congress.

"Similar to the National Military Strategy, the Electromagnetic Warfare Strategy is not intended to be prescriptive with performance measures, but rather to guide the analyses and processes the Department has established to balance risk and affordability that culminate in the annual budgetary and capabilities review process."

For more:
- download the report, GAO-12-479 (.pdf)

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