This is the accessible text file for GAO report number GAO-06-279R entitled 'Issues Related to Navy Battleships' which was released on December 14, 2005. This text file was formatted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to be accessible to users with visual impairments, as part of a longer term project to improve GAO products' accessibility. Every attempt has been made to maintain the structural and data integrity of the original printed product. Accessibility features, such as text descriptions of tables, consecutively numbered footnotes placed at the end of the file, and the text of agency comment letters, are provided but may not exactly duplicate the presentation or format of the printed version. The portable document format (PDF) file is an exact electronic replica of the printed version. We welcome your feedback. Please E-mail your comments regarding the contents or accessibility features of this document to Webmaster@gao.gov. This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. It may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without further permission from GAO. Because this work may contain copyrighted images or other material, permission from the copyright holder may be necessary if you wish to reproduce this material separately. December 13, 2005: The Honorable Roscoe G. Bartlett: Chairman, Subcommittee on Projection Forces: Committee on Armed Services: House of Representatives: Subject: Issues Related to Navy Battleships: Dear Mr. Chairman: Until World War II U.S. Navy battleships provided an impressive show of force and outgunned and outmaneuvered their ocean-going enemies. From World War II until the Persian Gulf War in 1991, the Navy's Iowa class battleships provided Naval Surface Fire Support capabilities with their 16-inch guns. Naval Surface Fire Support, together with land-and air- based components, makes up the joint "fires triad", which is used to support Marine Corps amphibious assault operations. The last Iowa class battleship was decommissioned in 1992. In 1996, congressional authorizers became concerned that the Navy would not be able to produce a replacement Naval Surface Fire Support capability comparable to the battleships until well into the twenty-first century and directed the Secretary of the Navy to restore at least two Iowa class battleships to the naval vessel registry until the Secretary of the Navy certified that a capability had been developed equal to or greater than that provided by the battleships.[Footnote 1] Two Iowa class battleships-- the U.S.S. Wisconsin and the U.S.S. Iowa--remain on the naval vessel registry in inactive status. Both ships are considered "in reserve", meaning they are being retained for reactivation in case of full mobilization or future need. Since 1995 we have reported several times on the status of battleships and their role in meeting future Naval Surface Fire Support requirements.[Footnote 2] In November 2004, we reported that the Navy and Marine Corps had only recently begun the process to establish validated Naval Surface Fire Support requirements that address the overall capabilities needed, that the cost and schedule for reactivating and modernizing two Iowa class battleships had not been fully developed, and that fielding of a replacement Naval Surface Fire Support capability has been delayed.[Footnote 3] An issue confronting Congress in finalizing the National Defense Authorization bill for Fiscal Year 2006 is whether or not to allow the two remaining battleships to be removed from the naval registry and be donated. Decision makers have at least three alternatives to removing the two remaining battleships from the naval vessel registry. The Navy could (1) sustain the battleships in inactive status; (2) reactivate the battleships to their original warfighting capabilities, with some improvements to bring them up to current ship standards for habitability and interoperability; or (3) modernize the battleships, their fire support capabilities, and other supporting capabilities significantly beyond their original capabilities. You requested that we review requirements for fire support and whether or not these requirements could be met with Navy battleships. We agreed to focus our work on two objectives. Specifically, we identified (1) mission requirements established by the Department of Defense (DOD) for fire support to expeditionary operations and how DOD officials view these needs and the ability of the battleships and current and planned capabilities to meet these requirements, and (2) cost factors that should be considered in evaluating whether to sustain, reactivate, modernize or delist the battleships. On November 10, 2005, we provided you with a briefing on our observations regarding battleships and fire support issues. This letter summarizes our observations and transmits the briefing slides as requested. (See enclosure I.) To determine DOD requirements for fire support for expeditionary operations in the littorals, we reviewed DOD requirements documents and identified current and planned capabilities. We also held discussions with officials from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff, Chief, Naval Operations, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, the Navy's Inactive Ships Management Office, and the U.S. Joint Forces Command to obtain their views on existing and planned joint fires capabilities, the adequacy of these plans, and the ability of battleships to perform the fire support mission. In addition, we obtained combatant command views on the sufficiency of DOD fire support capabilities to carry out operational plans from officials at the U.S. Central Command and the U.S. Pacific Command. We also toured the battleship U.S.S. Wisconsin to observe its current condition. While on board, we discussed the ship's maintenance schedule, inspection procedures, annual funding, and cost factors for options to sustain, reactivate, and modernize the battleships. We also discussed these issues with Navy officials and determined whether they have completed any recent analysis on the cost of reactivating or modernizing the battleships. We did not assess the cost-effectiveness of options to reactivate or upgrade battleships because the Navy has not determined what enhancements would be required for these options or developed cost estimates. We performed our work from July through October 2005 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. Observations: DOD is in the process of reviewing a draft joint fires requirements document for expeditionary operations in the littorals[Footnote 4] which was developed primarily by the Marine Corps in May 2005. The draft requirements document shows that planned capabilities will help to mitigate existing gaps in joint fires capabilities if programs such as the advanced gun system for the new DD(X) destroyer and the extended- range munitions for existing DDG destroyers are implemented as currently planned. However, current and planned DOD capabilities for joint fires will not fully meet DOD's needs because they will not provide sufficient capabilities such as engaging moving targets in restricted weather conditions or providing a sufficient quantity of fires over a short period of time. DOD officials believe that although some gaps in joint fires capabilities exist now and will continue to exist in the future, the risk associated with these gaps is acceptable and will not significantly affect the combatant commanders' ability to execute war plans. Moreover, they do not believe that keeping or modernizing battleships would be cost effective nor would the modernized battleships significantly reduce the risk in comparison with other planned capabilities that DOD is funding. While the Navy maintains annual costs to sustain these battleships, the Navy has not developed any specific cost estimates for reactivating battleships to their original warfighting capabilities or for modernizing them beyond these capabilities. Numerous cost factors would have to be considered to assess such options including the cost of personnel to operate the ship, materials and labor to improve operating systems and habitability, and restoration or improvement of munitions and their delivery systems. Moreover, the capabilities and costs of reactivating or upgrading battleships would need to be compared to those of other ongoing DOD programs to enhance fire support capabilities such as the DD(X) program. Our prior work has shown that decisions on acquisition alternatives should be based on analyses of total ownership costs during a system's lifecycle, which include the costs to research, develop, acquire, own, and operate systems.[Footnote 5] DOD is reviewing joint requirements for fire support for expeditionary operations in the littorals: Since May 2005 when the Marine Corps Combat Development Command submitted a draft requirements document for Joint Staff review, Naval Surface Fire Support requirements have become part of joint fires requirements and are currently being reviewed by DOD.[Footnote 6] Joint fires include a system of weapons delivered from two or more components--aircraft, ships/submarines, and ground assets--toward a common objective. In order to comply with DOD's new Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System process, the Joint Staff directed the Marine Corps to submit the draft Initial Capabilities Document to determine joint fires requirements in support of expeditionary operations in coastal areas. The Initial Capabilities Document identified four gaps in existing and planned joint fires capabilities: (1) integrated joint command and control are not well-defined, (2) existing and future acquisition systems do not provide sufficient capability to engage moving targets under restricted weather conditions,.(3) existing and future acquisition systems do not provide sufficient capability to limit collateral damage, and (4) existing and planned systems do not deliver a sufficient volume of fires on multiple targets simultaneously or over a short period of time. The draft document is in the process of being reviewed by subject matter experts within DOD. Prior to the development of this joint requirements document, the Marine Corps had established requirements in a document titled "Naval Surface Fire Support Requirements for Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare" in March 2002. This document established specific near-term, mid-term and far-term requirements for factors such as system response time, accuracy and precision, and range. New capabilities being developed will enhance DOD's joint fires capabilities for expeditionary warfare, but some gaps will remain: Current capabilities to provide joint fires in support of expeditionary operations in the littorals include the 5-inch 54-or 62-caliber guns for the DDG destroyers and cruisers with 5-inch 54-caliber guns. The two battleships in inactive reserve, if reactivated, would provide 16- inch 50-caliber guns. Other joint fires capabilities include tactical aviation, surface-to-surface rocket systems, and Army and Marine Corps 105 millimeter and 155 millimeter artillery. Planned capabilities such as weapons systems and/or ships currently under development are expected to largely meet near-and mid-term requirements and partially mitigate multiple capabilities gaps if implemented as planned. Planned capabilities include the DD(X) destroyers with an advanced gun system firing long range land attack projectiles. Another planned capability is extended-range guided munitions for existing DDG destroyers. The DDG with extended-range guided munitions largely meets near-and mid-term Naval Surface Fire Support requirements, while the DD(X) meets mid-term requirements and may meet far-term requirements depending on the ultimate range of the projectiles. However, neither of these capabilities may be available until early next decade. As we have reported, both the DD(X) and extended-range guided munitions programs have experienced some technical and funding challenges.[Footnote 7] In addition, neither current nor planned Naval Surface Fire Support capabilities fully mitigate joint fires gaps identified in the Initial Capabilities Document such as the ability to engage moving targets in restricted weather conditions and the ability to provide a sufficient quantity of fires over a short period of time. However, the DD(X) with the advanced gun system could mitigate those gaps and the DDG firing extended-range guided munitions somewhat addresses them. Land-and air- based systems, such as long-range bombers, may also help to mitigate these gaps. DOD officials believe risk associated with current and planned capabilities is acceptable if programs are implemented as planned: DOD officials believe the level of risk associated with current fire support capabilities is acceptable given that other joint capabilities such as tactical aviation and long-range bombers could also contribute to providing joint fires to support theater commanders' war plans. For example, combatant command representatives told us they would be able to execute war plans with acceptable risk using current fires support capabilities. Also, DOD officials from the joint staff, combatant commands, Navy, and Marine Corps do not believe that reactivating battleships would be cost effective nor would the modernized battleships significantly reduce those risks or provide the best means to meet long-term joint fires capability requirements. Navy officials stated that the battleships would be expensive to operate, have munitions that lack accuracy, and are manpower intensive. Both Navy and Marine Corps officials stated that planned capabilities, including the DD(X) destroyers with the advanced gun system firing long-range land attack projectiles and extended-range guided munitions for existing DDGs, will help to mitigate existing joint fires gaps if executed as planned. However, Marine Corps officials support purchasing a larger number of DD(X) ships than are included in current Navy plans. Analysis of battleship alternatives would need to consider many types of costs: Decision makers have at least three alternatives to removing the two remaining battleships from the naval vessel registry. The Navy could (1) sustain the battleships in inactive status; (2) reactivate the battleships to their original warfighting capabilities, with some improvements to bring them up to current ship standards for habitability and interoperability; or (3) modernize the battleships, their fire support capabilities, and other supporting capabilities significantly beyond their original capabilities. In addition to weighing the military capabilities associated with these alternatives, numerous cost factors would need to be considered for each option including the extent to which DOD would incur costs for: * mechanical and/or technological systems such as the propulsion system or communications systems; * weapons and munitions such as fire control systems and ordnance and propellant safety; and: * personnel to operate the battleships (e.g., military personnel or contractor support), and training required to operate the various types of systems. However, the capabilities and costs associated with these options would also need to be weighed and compared to those of DOD's other programs to enhance fire support capabilities, such as the DD(X) program with the advanced gun system and extended-range guided munitions for existing DDGs. Moreover, our past work has shown that an effective comparison of costs should focus on total ownership costs during a system's lifecycle. Total ownership costs include estimated operations and support cost in addition to research, development and procurement costs. The cost of a ship's crew is generally the single largest expense incurred over a ship's lifecycle.[Footnote 8] Cost factors involved in sustaining the battleships in inactive ship status include the cost of contractor support to maintain the ships for such things as preservation painting, interior dehumidification, and maintaining the fire and flood alarm systems. The Navy currently incurs expenses of about $1.5 million per year to sustain both battleships in inactive status. Of this amount, about $1 million covers additional annual preservation maintenance and ongoing paint preservation work on the Wisconsin. The ships are inspected twice a year to document electrical, safety, hull and general ship conditions. In addition, the deck of the Iowa must be repaired to ensure its safety. According to Navy officials, this would cost about $1.6 million spread over two fiscal years. Costs to reactivate the battleships to their original warfighting capabilities with some enhancements for habitability and interoperability would include costs to bring the battleships up to current ship standards. For example, the Navy would have to replace the analog communications system with digital systems so that they will be interoperable with other ships; improve the propulsion system, and update chemical and biological protection capabilities, and improve personnel habitability with additions such as sit-up berthing and accommodations for women at sea. Moreover, Navy officials estimate they would need about 1,500 military personnel to operate a reactivated battleship. The fire control system would need to be improved and the propellant powder bags for the 16-inch guns, stored off the ships, would need to be replaced due to age and deterioration. In addition, the damaged number two gun turret on the Iowa would need to be repaired. Cost factors that would need to be considered to modernize and reactivate the battleships beyond their original warfighting capabilities could include replacing the propulsion system with a gas turbine system and developing guided munitions that could be launched from the battleships. Ultimately, the costs and time to modernize and reactivate the battleships would depend upon the specific missions and capabilities desired. However, in addition to the cost of more modern munitions, numerous enhancements to upgrade communications, the ship's deck, mechanics, chemical biological protection capabilities, living quarters, and other systems would also be required. Agency Comments: We received technical comments from DOD which we incorporated as appropriate. If you or your staff has any questions about this report, please contact me at (202) 512-4402 or stlaurentj@gao.gov. Contact information for our offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs can be found on the last page of this report. Key contributors to this report were Richard Payne, Susan Ditto, David Marroni, Brian Mateja, Donna Rogers, and Malvern Saavedra. Sincerely yours, Signed by: Janet A. St. Laurent: Director, Defense Capabilities and Management: Enclosure: [See PDF for images] [End of slide presentation] [End of section] FOOTNOTES [1] National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-106, Sec. 1011, H.R. Conf. Rep. No. 104-450, at 835 (1996). [2] U.S. General Accounting Office, DEFENSE ACQUISITIONS: Evaluation of the Navy's 1999 Naval Surface Fire Support Assessment, GAO/NSIAD-99-225 (Washington, D.C.: Sept. 14, 1999); FORCE STRUCTURE: Navy Is Complying with Battleship Readiness Requirements, GAO/NSIAD-99-62 (Washington, D.C.: Apr. 12, 1999); DEFENSE ACQUISITIONS: Naval Surface Fire Support Program Plans and Costs, GAO/NSIAD-99-91 (Washington, D.C.: June 11, 1999); PROGRAM STATUS: Naval Surface Fire Support, GAO/NSIAD-97-179R (Washington, D.C.: Aug. 6, 1997). [3] U.S. Government Accountability Office, Information on Options for Naval Surface Fire Support, GAO-05-39R (Washington, D.C.: Nov. 9, 2004). [4] The littoral includes an area extending from a transition point from open ocean, e.g., the sea base, to more constrictive and shallower waters, to the shore, and onward to those inland areas that can be attacked, supported and defended from the sea. [5] U.S. Government Accountability Office, Best Practices: Setting Requirements Differently Could Reduce Weapon Systems' Total Ownership Costs, GAO-03-57 (Washington, D.C. Feb. 11, 2003). [6] Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Initial Capabilities Document for Joint Fires in Support of Expeditionary Operations in the Littorals, May 31, 2005. [7] U.S. Government Accountability Office, DEFENSE ACQUISITIONS: Progress and Challenges Facing the DD(X) Surface Combatant Program, GAO- 05-924T (Washington, D.C.: July 19, 2005; U.S. Government Accountability Office, DEFENSE ACQUISITIONS: Assessments of Selected Major Weapon Programs, GAO-05-301 (Washington, D.C.: March 31, 2005). [8] U.S. Government Accountability Office, MILITARY PERSONNEL: Navy Actions Needed to Optimize Ship Crew Size and Reduce Total Ownership Costs, GAO-03-520 (Washington, D.C.: June 9, 2003). 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