Foreign Assistance:
Analysis of Cost Estimates for Israel's Lavi Aircraft
NSIAD-87-76: Published: Jan 31, 1987. Publicly Released: Jan 31, 1987.
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Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO evaluated conflicting cost estimates that the United States and Israel prepared for the Lavi fighter aircraft, which Israel is developing to replace its older fighter aircraft.
GAO found that: (1) Israel financed 90 percent of the development and initial production of the Lavi with U.S. foreign military sales (FMS) loans that Congress forgave; (2) the U.S. aircraft industry is heavily involved in the Lavi program; and (3) the Department of Defense (DOD) estimated that the Lavi would cost about $22.1 million per aircraft, or 52 percent more than the Israeli estimate of $14.5 million per aircraft. GAO adjusted the Israeli estimate to make it comparable to the DOD estimate and found that: (1) the Israeli-estimated hourly labor rates and other costs appeared low, while the DOD estimate for labor rates was high; (2) DOD overestimated the aircraft's weight; (3) DOD improperly adjusted its calculations for labor hours; (4) DOD overestimated the cost of materials; and (5) the DOD estimate could have been high by as much as $4.3 million. In addition, GAO found that, even using the lowest estimate, the Lavi's cost will: (1) exceed an Israeli-imposed annual spending limit for the aircraft; and (2) cause Israel to spend an increasing portion of its defense budget on the Lavi and damage its ability to meet its other defense needs.
Sep 23, 2020
The Nation's Fiscal Health:
Effective Use of Fiscal Rules and TargetsGAO-20-561: Published: Sep 23, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 23, 2020.
Sep 8, 2020
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Airport Funding:
Information on Grandfathered Revenue Diversion and Potential Implications of RepealGAO-20-684: Published: Sep 8, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 8, 2020.
Jan 23, 2020
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Federal Trust Funds and Other Dedicated Funds:
Fiscal Sustainability Is a Growing Concern for Some Key FundsGAO-20-156: Published: Jan 16, 2020. Publicly Released: Jan 23, 2020.
Dec 19, 2019
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State and Local Governments' Fiscal Outlook:
2019 UpdateGAO-20-269SP: Published: Dec 19, 2019. Publicly Released: Dec 19, 2019.
Nov 14, 2019
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Certificated Expenditures:
Executive Office of the President FY 2018 Certificated Expenditures Were Spent for Authorized PurposesGAO-20-139R: Published: Nov 14, 2019. Publicly Released: Nov 14, 2019.
Oct 16, 2019
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Civilian Personnel:
Additional Guidance and Consistent Data Reporting Could Help Improve the Marine Corps' Budget ManagementGAO-20-148: Published: Oct 16, 2019. Publicly Released: Oct 16, 2019.
Jun 26, 2019
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The Nation's Fiscal Health:
Actions Needed to Achieve Long-Term Fiscal SustainabilityGAO-19-611T: Published: Jun 26, 2019. Publicly Released: Jun 26, 2019.
Apr 10, 2019
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The Nation's Fiscal Health:
Action Is Needed to Address the Federal Government's Fiscal FutureGAO-19-314SP: Published: Apr 10, 2019. Publicly Released: Apr 10, 2019.
Mar 27, 2019
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Fiscal Exposures:
Federal Insurance and Other Activities That Transfer Risk or Losses to the GovernmentGAO-19-353: Published: Mar 27, 2019. Publicly Released: Mar 27, 2019.
Mar 22, 2019
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Data Act:
OMB Needs to Formalize Data Governance for Reporting Federal SpendingGAO-19-284: Published: Mar 22, 2019. Publicly Released: Mar 22, 2019.
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