Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO provided information on the Department of Defense's (DOD) plans to consolidate its naval research and development laboratories, focusing on the: (1) consolidation planning process and initial plan; (2) plan's implementation status; and (3) impact of consolidation on Navy programs.

GAO found that: (1) the Navy expects to eliminate 2,770 positions and transfer 5,898 research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) positions through consolidation of technical and overhead functions and mission reorganization; (2) although the Navy completed some simple consolidation actions involving nonrelocation organizational changes, its initial consolidation plan did not provide sufficient details to implement all consolidations; (3) the Navy is basing plan changes on more accurate transfer information and current assessments of workload; (4) the Secretary of the Navy's 1993 recommendations to the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission proposed changes to closure recommendations and to the initial plan; (5) between 1992 and 1993, the Navy reorganized all RDT&E activities under warfare centers reporting to system commands; (6) most Navy activities are developing detailed transition plans to implement consolidation requirements; (7) although the Navy has eliminated 386 positions and transferred 979 civilian positions, only 16 percent of the affected employees were willing to relocate with their positions; and (8) the Navy identified and is addressing the consolidation's impact, including the potential loss of technical capabilities and personnel and the potential disruption to programs.