**GAO-08-1068**                      Published: Sep 25, 2008. Publicly Released: Sep 25, 2008.                  

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## Highlights

The Department of Defense (DOD) has spent a total of over $115 billion since the mid-1980s to develop a Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) comprised of land, air, and sea-based elements--such as missiles and radars--working together as an integrated system. Since the cost to operate and support a weapon system usually accounts for most of a system's lifetime costs, the resources needed to fund BMDS could be significant as DOD fields an increasing number of BMDS elements. In 2005, DOD began planning to transition responsibility for supporting BMDS elements from the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to the services. GAO was asked to assess the extent to which DOD has (1) planned to support BMDS elements over the long-term, and (2) identified long-term operation and support costs. To do so, GAO analyzed 7 BMDS elements that will be fielded by 2015, compared DOD's plans and cost estimates to DOD and GAO key principles, and assessed the extent to which MDA and the services have agreed on responsibilities for supporting and funding BMDS elements.

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## Topics

National Defense

Ballistic missile defenseBallistic missilesCost analysisDefense budgetsDefense capabilitiesDefense contingency planningDefense cost controlDefense procurementFuture budget projectionsMissilesPolicy evaluationProcurement planningProgram managementStrategic planningSystems conversionsSystems development life cycleSystems integrationWeapons systemsCost estimatesProgram implementation