NAVIGATION PLANNING--NEED FOR A NEW DIRECTION

This report deals with the proliferation of navigation systems and their mounting costs to the Government and users. Of the 13 systems the General Accounting Office reviewed, only 4 and parts of a 5th system were thought to be needed in the future because the military NAVSTAR satellite development has the potential for meeting the navigation needs of nearly all users. Substantial savings may be possible by deferring the spending for systems which NAVSTAR could replace. It is noted that a Government-wide navigation plan is needed to reduce the proliferation and overlap of navigation systems. Also, a strong management focus is needed to plan and direct Government-wide navigation matters. The Congress should question future requests for expenditures on navigation systems which may not be needed in later years and allow funds only when they can be cost/benefit justified or on the specific basis of safety or combat readiness. The Congress also may have to decide whether a civil or military agency should eventually manage the NAVSTAR navigation satellite system. GAO recommends that the President assign to a single manager the responsibility and authority to direct the development and implementation of a Government-wide navigation plan. Until such a plan is developed and accepted, GAO recommends that the Secretaries of Defense and Transportation defer unnecessary spending for the unneeded navigation systems as long as NAVSTAR remains their potential replacement.

• Record URL:
  http://www.gao.gov/docdblite/summary.php?recflag=&rptno=LCD-77-109
• Supplemental Notes:
  • A Report to the Congress.
• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. General Accounting Office

  441 G Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20548
• Publication Date: 1978-3-21

Media Info

• Pagination: 107 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aids to navigation; Artificial satellites; Benefit cost analysis; Civil aviation; Doppler radar; Economic analysis; Loran C; Management; Military transportation; Navigation devices; Navigation systems; Navigational satellites; NAVSTAR; Omega navigation system; Planning; Radio navigation; Satellite navigation systems
• Old TRIS Terms: Differential omega; Economic analysis (Navigational aids); Economic analysis (Satellite systems); Management planning; National navigation plan; Navigation equipment; Omega navigation
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Aviation; Economics; Marine Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00179392
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: U.S. General Accounting Office
• Report/Paper Numbers: LCD-77-109
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 27 1978 12:00AM