**GAO-08-374**                      Published: Mar 24, 2008. Publicly Released: Apr 23, 2008.                  

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## Highlights

The Department of Defense's (DOD) intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities-such as satellites and unmanned aircraft systems-are crucial to military operations, and demand for ISR capabilities has increased. For example, DOD plans to invest $28 billion over the next 7 years in 20 airborne ISR systems alone. Congress directed DOD to fully integrate its ISR capabilities, also known as the ISR enterprise, as it works to meet current and future ISR needs. GAO was asked to (1) describe the challenges, if any, that DOD faces in integrating its ISR enterprise, (2) assess DOD's management approach for improving integration of its future ISR investments, and (3) evaluate the extent to which DOD has implemented key activities to ensure proposed new ISR capabilities fill gaps, are not duplicative, and use a joint approach to meeting warfighters' needs. GAO assessed DOD's integration initiatives and 19 proposals for new ISR capabilities. We supplemented this analysis with discussions with DOD officials.

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## Topics

National Defense

AircraftCost analysisCost effectiveness analysisDefense capabilitiesDefense contingency planningDefense industryDefense operationsDefense procurementElectronic surveillanceFederal fundsFunds managementInteragency relationsMilitary intelligenceMilitary operationsMilitary systems analysisNational defense operationsNeeds assessmentProgram evaluationRequirements definitionStrategic planningSystems analysisSystems integrationTechnology assessmentProgram goals or objectivesProgram implementation