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Weapons of Mass Destruction: Status of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program

NSIAD-96-222 Published: Sep 27, 1996. Publicly Released: Sep 27, 1996.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Department of Defense's (DOD) draft 1996 multiyear Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program plan, focusing on its: (1) estimated costs; and (2) potential impacts on helping control nuclear weapons and materials, and eliminating strategic delivery vehicles.

Recommendations

Matter for Congressional Consideration

Matter Status Comments
Congress may wish to consider linking DOD authority to obligate some or all of the funds that it may provide for constructing a fissile material storage facility in Russia to completion of a transparency agreement regarding the facility's use.
Closed – Implemented
Congress incorporated such language in section 1407 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY1998 (Public Law 105-85).

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense To help clarify the presentation of programmatic and cost issues, the Secretary of Defense should direct that the annual CTR multiyear program plan submitted to Congress identify and explain: (1) significant cost, schedule, or scope changes from the preceding year's plan; and (2) known uncertainties affecting project cost estimates and schedules.
Closed – Implemented
The plan transmitted to Congress in 1997 included improved explanations of changes in cost estimates.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should refrain from obligating any CTR funds for constructing a chemical weapons destruction facility in Russia until DOD has completed a construction cost estimate based on a one-third completed design and specified the U.S. share of the estimated costs.
Closed – Implemented
Congress included similar language, based on GAO's work, in sections 1405 and 1406 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY1998 (Public Law 105-85).

Full Report

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Topics

Ballistic missilesChemical warfareChemical weaponsConstruction costsFacility constructionFederal aid to foreign countriesFuture budget projectionsInternational cooperationNuclear proliferationNuclear weaponsProperty disposalWeapons of mass destruction