From the U.S. Government Accountability Office, www.gao.gov Transcript for: Poor Conditions at Navy Shipyards Description: The Navy currently operates four shipyards to maintain its aircraft carriers and submarines, but aging facilities and backlogs create challenges to maintaining Navy readiness Related GAO Works: GAO-17-548: Naval Shipyards: Actions Needed to Improve Poor Conditions that Affect Operations Released: September 2017 [ Background Music ] [Opening Screen] GAO logo. [Video of naval ships at sea, and in shipyards] [Display: Video Footage Provided by the U.S. Navy] Over the past decade, the Navy has increased the amount of time its ships are deployed and has deferred ship maintenance to meet heavy operational demands. This has resulted in deteriorating conditions across the fleet, requiring longer maintenance periods at naval shipyards. The efficiency and effectiveness of the naval shipyards is critical to maintaining Navy readiness, and the shipyards' performance depends, in part, on the condition of their facilities and equipment. [US Map with shipyards noted ] Over its history, the Navy has operated thirteen naval shipyards. Most of them have been converted to other uses or closed, and now only 4 remain: Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, and Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. [Historical ship images] The four remaining shipyards were originally established to build the sail- and steam-powered ships of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. [Video of modern ships] They were not designed to support the types of ships they maintain today, such as nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines. The Navy relies on the efficient operation of these shipyards to support its aircraft carrier and submarine presence around the world. [Photos of shipyard facilities] However, facilities at the shipyards are in poor condition. For example, about 50 buildings at the naval shipyards have been condemned or are unusable for ship repair activities, including some in prime locations that the Navy says could efficiently support ship repair. [ Photos of facilities] As a workaround, the Navy has purchased or rented temporary facilities at every shipyard, some of which have been in place for decades. The Navy says that due to a lack of space it has even been necessary to stack temporary facilities on top of each other. Sometimes temporary facilities are fabricated using plastic sheeting and duct tape. [Graphic: Maintenance Backlog Costs:$4.86 billion, FY2017] The backlog of restoration and modernization projects for these shipyards has continued to grow, and their aging equipment is likely to need frequent repairs. [Photos of furnaces, and submarines in drydock ] For example, Norfolk Naval Shipyard used a furnace from 1931 to heat treat-submarine parts to withstand deep-sea pressure, until 2 years ago,when workers discovered that this furnace did not heat parts evenly or to the correct temperatures. The Navy removed the furnace from use, but had to re-inspect 10 years' worth of submarine repairs. [ Photos and timelapse videos of drydocks ] The naval shipyards also rely on old, poorly configured drydocks, which are on average, about 89 years old. Drydocks are critical to maintaining required safety conditions and many cannot support the newest aircraft carriers and submarines. For example, the Navy's drydocks cannot currently support all FORD Class aircraft carrier requirements. [ Graphic showing 55 missed availabilities by 2040 ] Due to the current lack of drydock capacity, the Navy predicts that it will be unable to perform a third of its scheduled aircraft carrier and submarine maintenance projects over the next two decades. Navy planners say they will need an average of $750 million a year to address drydock, facilities, and equipment needs-but the Navy has only allotted an average of $384 million a year over the last 11 years. [ Graphic: Projected cost growth for repairs to Building 30 at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Initial Repair Estimate: $2.5 million, plus Anti-terrorism and hurricane wind protection: $6.8 million, plus building code and other requirements: $25.4 million, equals a total repair estimate of $34.7 million. ] And repairing and modernizing the facilities at these shipyards can be difficult and costly. Shipyards have to satisfy anti-terrorism requirements, building codes, and environmental issues that can lead to project cost growth. [Photos of ship yard exteriors and damage ] The shipyards' waterfront locations force them to address rising sea levels and flooding. Earthquakes can also cause accidental flooding of drydocks, and damage to shipyards in populated areas. [Photo: bullet holes in a building at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard] The age of the shipyards and their histories also make them subject to historic preservation requirements. In 2013, the Navy estimated that it would take over 17 years to address some of its pressing shipyard issues. But our assessment indicates it will take longer than the Navy predicts-beyond 2035. [ Background Music ] [ video of ships] Even with recent investments, the Navy is struggling to complete scheduled maintenance on time, and as its fleet grows the Navy will face greater challenges. [Displayed: NAVY SHIPYARDS - Actions needed to improve poor contitions that affect operations.] To find out more about actions that can be taken to address these challenges, look for our report, GAO-17-548, which you can find on our website, at GAO.gov. [Last Screen ] GAO.gov GAO-17-548 NAVY SHIPYARDS Actions needed to improve poor contitions that affect operations.