Strategic Mobility: Serious Problems Remain in U.S. Deployment Capabilities

GAO discussed strategic mobility issues, focusing on the Department of Defense's (DOD) stated mobility requirements and mobility capabilities issues that have not been resolved. GAO noted that: (1) DOD has defined extensive strategic mobility requirements that are sensitive to the assumptions DOD used in studying the issue; (2) key assumptions about sealift capabilities were overly pessimistic, and key assumptions about airlift capabilities were overly optimistic; (3) the Army has increased the amount of equipment and supplies it has prepositioned in forward areas, and the Marine Corps has upgraded the firepower of its prepositioned equipment; (4) the Navy and the Maritime Administration (MARAD) are acquiring more roll-on/roll-off sealift ships, and the Navy is acquiring more container ships; (5) under existing airlift acquisition plans, DOD will not have the airlift capability it needs until 2005, primarily because of problems in the C-17 aircraft program; (6) DOD is taking steps to extend the service lives of the C-5 and C-141 aircraft by increasing the use of companion training aircraft, commercial aircraft, and flight simulators; (7) certain air bases in Europe are critical to meeting strategic mobility requirements, but they face a threat of closure during the ongoing military drawdown; (8) the Army has not completed improvements in its rail transportation capabilities; and (9) MARAD is acting to increase the readiness of ships in the Ready Reserve Force.