Army and Navy Watercraft Programs for Logistics-Over-the-Shore Operations Can Be Better Managed
NSIAD-84-31
Published: Mar 13, 1984. Publicly Released: Mar 13, 1984.
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Highlights
GAO reviewed the management of the Army and Navy watercraft programs in relationship to logistics-over-the-shore operations.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretaries of the Army and Navy to combine development of future air-cushioned vessels and take advantage of existing capabilities and expertise. |
Closed – Not Implemented
DOD does not believe that a directive is needed. DOD does agree that a coordinated cooperative effort is required and will do this through an air-cushioned vessel working group established in 1981.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretaries of the Army and Navy to decide the extent that ship-to-shore lighterage should be standardized and gear the services' acquisition programs to this decision. |
Closed – Not Implemented
DOD states that the variations in watercraft reflect the specialized missions doctrinally assigned to each service. GAO believes that more standardization is possible.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretaries of the Army and Navy to redetermine the resources available for logistics-over-the-shore operations and compare them to total needs before buying additional watercraft and equipment. |
Closed – Not Implemented
DOD believes that the DOD sealift study and concurrent service reviews have already addressed this recommendation. These reviews discuss requirements in broad terms but do not make the requirement-onhand comparison envisioned by GAO.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretary of the Army to reconsider the planned procurement of commercial replacement lighterage. |
Closed – Not Implemented
DOD believes that commercial lighterage is needed and satisfies the logistics for over the shore, coastal, harbor, and inland (CHI) waterway missions. In view of the modernization program for existing lighterage, GAO believes that the planned procurement of replacement lighterage needs to be reconsidered. DOD provided no support that the lighterage will be used for CHI missions.
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Agency missionsCost controlDefense contingency planningLogisticsMilitary vesselsProgram managementMilitary forcesWatercraftBargesShips