The Department of Defense should report to Congress annually on the progress of the integrated satellite communication architectures it is adopting in place of a linear approach, the Government Accountability Office said. In a report released Tuesday, GAO noted the challenges that DOD faces in the shift, such as the historically slow pace of satcom acquisitions that can hinder fielding systems on time for the department’s plans.
The congressional watchdog office noted that the DOD shift depends on increased coordination among satcom stakeholders and with commercial providers that the department needs to engage for implementing integrated satcom architectures.
Data-Sharing Challenge
Even with DOD’s initiative to start automating satcom resource allocations, difficulties are expected in securing varying forms of access and permissions for data sharing, according to officials that GAO consulted.
In addition, the office observed that DOD’s reporting system on enterprise satcom is not comprehensive enough on its outcomes. A more thorough reporting would help the department pinpoint and mitigate delays sooner, as well as inform Congress on developments.
GAO recommended that DOD assign its chief information officer to secure support from the U.S. Space Force in preparing an annual report to Congress on the enterprise satcom system for inclusion in the president’s budget submission through fiscal year 2030. DOD concurred with the recommendation, GAO said.
