Just Keep Stuffing in the Money--We'll Give You Some Sort of Weapon

Defense Dept.'s Weapons Programs Faulted GAO Report Cites Cost Overruns, Years-Long Delays in Acquisitions

By Dana Hedgpeth Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, February 2, 2008; D01

The Defense Department's major weapons programs have suffered cost overruns in the billions of dollars, years-long delays and quality shortfalls because of poor acquisition practices by the department, according to a report released yesterday by the Government Accountability Office.

The GAO warned that the cost of designing and developing weapons systems could "continue to exceed estimates by billions of dollars" if the Defense Department doesn't improve its acquisition practices.

The report, which focused on 11 troubled weapons programs, said contractors had "poor practices" for systems engineering and relied on "immature designs, inadequate testing, defective parts and inadequate manufacturing controls."

The report said the Defense Department did not provide effective oversight as projects were being …