WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — To execute all of its delayed and planned flight tests, the MDA must increase its pace by conducting more tests, delaying tests, or removing tests, the GAO stated.
"GAO found that while the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) successfully conducted key flight and ground tests for the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) in fiscal year 2015, it did not achieve its testing goals," the report stated on Thursday. "MDA conducted 11 out of 20 flight tests."
The GAO warned that the failure to carry out the full testing program increased the risk for future testing delays.
"From fiscal year 2010 to 2015, MDA delayed or removed about 40 percent of its planned flight tests… The constant change to BMDS testing makes it difficult to trace progress and costs," the report noted.
