Weapon Systems Testing: Reorganization of DOD’s Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation

Summary

What GAO Found In response to the Secretary of Defense’s direction in a May 2025 memorandum, the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) made several organizational and staffing changes. These included creation of a Technical Director position and a space and strategic warfare area; elimination of Senior Executive Service-level Deputy Director positions; and significant reductions in civilian positions, including Action Officers responsible for assessing individual weapon system programs. Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation Staffing Levels Before and After May 2025 Memorandum Note: DOT&E staff figures above include administrative staff in addition to warfare area staff. The figure does not include totals for military staff. The organizational and staffing changes reduced DOT&E’s capacity to oversee operational and live fire test and evaluation for the 173 DOD weapon system programs on its oversight list in 2025. According to DOT&E Action Officers, the significant workforce reductions resulted in them being assigned more programs, programs in warfare areas for which they lack subject matter expertise, or both. They also said the workforce reductions and resulting loss of subject matter expertise increase the risk of weapon systems being delivered to the warfighters with undocumented operational shortfalls. Other actions further affected DOT&E’s oversight activities. For example, the work stoppage on a support contract disrupted access to test and evaluation data for about 2 months, and reductions to secure workspaces created challenges for Action Officers’ oversight activities involving classified information. The staff reductions since May 2025 constrain the depth and breadth of oversight that DOT&E can provide for DOD’s weapon systems. This includes oversight of major defense acquisition programs and others, such as middle tier of acquisition programs—a growing area within DOD. DOT&E Action Officers expressed concern to GAO that the military departments could potentially use the middle tier of acquisition pathway to avoid certain operational and live fire testing requirements. As of June 2026, DOT&E is conducting an analysis of its workforce and workload in response to congressional inquiry. Why GAO Did This Study For more than four decades, DOT&E has provided oversight and guidance for operational testing of DOD’s weapon systems. The Secretary of Defense issued a memorandum on May 27, 2025, directing DOT&E to immediately eliminate non-statutory or redundant functions within the organization and reduce its workforce. Senate Report 119-39 to accompany the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 includes a provision for GAO to review recent reorganization activities within DOT&E. GAO briefed the congressional defense committees on its preliminary findings in May 2026. This report examines (1) changes to DOT&E's organizational structure in response to the May 2025 memorandum; (2) the extent to which the reorganization actions affect DOT&E's ability to provide oversight of major defense acquisition programs to meet statutory requirements; and (3) the extent to which the reorganization actions affect DOT&E's ability to provide oversight for additional programs on its oversight list, such as middle tier of acquisition or classified programs. For more information, contact Shelby S. Oakley at oakleys@gao.gov.