Overview
- GAO found Defense Department test and evaluation policies fall short of leading product‑development practices, especially in major capability and middle‑tier programs that account for most spending.
- Recommended revisions would require early tester involvement, iterative testing cycles using digital twins and threads, and continuous end‑user feedback in key acquisition documents and policies.
- DOD concurred with seven recommendations, partially concurred with five, and did not concur with one, while GAO maintained that all 13 remain warranted.
- Program reviews cited gaps in practice, including limited tester access to T‑7A data and no complete digital model, F‑22 upgrade testing without structured user feedback, a non‑iterative approach on the Army’s MV‑75 FLRAA, and the Ford‑class carrier lacking a digital twin and applying iteration only to cybersecurity.
- The report follows Pentagon efforts to accelerate fielding through test modernization and reduced oversight, even as oversight experts warn that trimming independent test review could risk undetected deficiencies.