Directed energy weapons: DOD should focus on transition planning : report to congressional committees / United States Government Accountability Office.

Format:

Book

Government document

Author/Creator:

United States. Government Accountability Office, author, issuing body.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. Department of Defense--Weapons systems--Technological innovations--Planning--Evaluation.

United States.

United States. Department of Defense.

Directed-energy weapons--Planning.

Directed-energy weapons.

Military research--United States--Management.

Military research.

Military-industrial complex--United States--Management.

Military-industrial complex.

Military planning--United States.

Military planning.

Military research--Management.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ii, 40 pages) : color illustrations

Other Title:

Directed energy weapons: Department of Defense should focus on transition planning

DOD should focus on transition planning

GAO-23-105868 Directed energy weapons

Place of Publication:

Washington, DC : United States Government Accountability Office, 2023.

Summary:

DOD spends about $1 billion annually on directed energy--concentrated electromagnetic energy--weapons, including high energy lasers and high power microwaves. DOD has pursued these potentially transformative technologies for decades because they could provide considerable advantages. They can deliver destructive or disruptive effects to targets at the speed of light and have potentially significant advantages over kinetic weapons, such as missiles, including lower per-use cost. This report (1) describes the status of DOD and military department directed energy weapon efforts, and (2) assesses challenges with transitioning directed energy weapon efforts from prototyping. GAO selected seven directed energy efforts to obtain insights on a variety of types of efforts, intended uses environment, and military departments. GAO is making four recommendations to DOD, including that the Navy and the Air Force develop transition agreements between prototype developers and planned transition partners.

Contents:

Background

DOD and military departments have undertaken steps to coordinate on and develop multiple types of DE weapons

Two military departments have not consistently taken steps to support DE technology transition

Conclusions

Recommendations for executive action

Agency comments and our evaluation

Appendices.

Notes:

"April 2023."

"GAO-23-105868."

In scope of the U.S. Government Publishing Office Cataloging and Indexing Program (C&I) and Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP).

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF cover (GAO, viewed April 19, 2023).

OCLC:

1376433815