Report says Pentagon lacks cohesive ISR vision

[unhappycamper]

Report says Pentagon lacks cohesive ISR vision
By Erik Holmes - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Apr 24, 2008 6:05:34 EDT

The Defense Department lacks a clear vision for the future of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and the integration of its ISR agencies is not adequate to ensure their efforts are coordinated, effective and efficient, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office.

The GAO report, released Wednesday, said improved integration would allow agencies involved in ISR — including all four military services, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office — to reduce gaps in their capabilities while minimizing redundancy and wasted resources.

Without such coordination, the agencies often pursue their own plans and agendas without considering the larger strategic picture, according to GAO, which went on to say the Pentagon has taken steps to improve integration — including issuing a five-year ISR roadmap in 2005 and better managing department-wide assets — but these steps have fallen short of what is needed.

“These initiatives do not provide ISR decision makers with a clear vision of a future ISR enterprise and a unified investment approach to achieve that vision,” the report said. “Without a clear vision and a unified investment approach, ISR decision makers lack the key management tools they need to comprehensively identify what ISR investments DOD needs to make to achieve its strategic goals, evaluate tradeoffs between competing needs, and assess progress in achieving strategic goals.”

The lack of a unified approach also leads to funding disputes between agencies that slow down ISR programs, GAO said.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/04/airforce_isr_study_042308w/



uhc comment: The five sided puzzle palace lacks cohesive vision? Color me surprised. Not.