Reports & Testimonies

DOD spends billions of dollars a year to operate and maintain its weapon systems—such as aircraft or ships—to ensure it can meet the military's needs today and in the future. These "sustainment" costs—expenses for repairs, for example—account for approximately 70% of a weapon system's total cost. DOD reports to Congress on these costs annually. We looked at DOD's FY 2021 sustainment reviews and found that...

The Department of Defense is upgrading its fleet of fighter and attack planes, known as "tactical aircraft." Most of these planes have outlived their planned service lives. We testified about the F-35—a key piece of DOD's fleet modernization efforts. Our ongoing work shows that the F-35 program has delivered over 800 aircraft, but is over a decade behind schedule and $165 billion over original cost...

According to the Department of Defense, only a quarter of Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 can meet military service requirements, such as those for education and physical fitness. So how can DOD maintain the number of active-duty service members it needs for national security? This Snapshot looks at our prior work on military recruitment and retention. We've recommended ways to help DOD...

As it modernizes the U.S. nuclear stockpile, the National Nuclear Security Administration is working to ensure its continued safety and reliability. NNSA assesses the weapons prior to releasing them to the military services to ensure that they meet DOD's requirements for safety and performance. NNSA documents any exceptions and limitations that may be found as the weapons age and their parts need to be replaced...

The military services and contractors use warehouses to store and distribute parts to repair weapon systems, among other things. The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) has 400 warehouses, but contractors also use commercial warehouses. In 2017, Congress authorized a pilot program seeking to more fully use DLA warehouses and avoid paying for commercial space. We reviewed the agency's report on this program. We found that DOD...

DOD is working to improve how fast it develops and delivers weapon systems. DOD has been using a streamlined process to do so—known as the middle tier of acquisitions or MTA pathway—which aims to deliver systems within 5 years from program start. We found that certain MTA programs that we reviewed don't fully incorporate 4 key principles of product development, such as dropping less urgent...

U.S. companies or individuals that sell certain defense services, like military training, to foreign buyers often need permission first from the State Department, which enforces U.S. International Arms Trafficking Regulations. According to State, from FYs 2013-2021, it received 8,547 voluntary disclosures of potential regulation violations from exporters. However, State said it could not readily provide data from its compliance database on how many disclosures or...

The Department of Defense child care program has taken steps to provide quality care. For example, DOD requires its child development centers and school-age care programs to be nationally accredited. DOD also aims to support service members and their families by meeting military-specific child care needs—such as those created by non-traditional work hours or frequent relocations. Families were largely satisfied with the quality of care...

Administrative separation from the military can have lifelong implications regarding a veteran's benefits and future employment opportunities. Service members facing discharge for misconduct, unsatisfactory performance, and other reasons may present their case before an administrative separation board. These boards review evidence and recommend either retention or separation. Each service has established policies for convening these boards and selecting board members. These policies generally align with...

From FYs 2011-2021, the 10 Navy ship classes we reviewed faced persistent and worsening challenges including a decrease in the number of hours a ship is available for operations or training. These challenges included: An increase in the number of working ship parts removed and used elsewhere due to parts shortages An increase in casualty reports—i.e., reports of events that impair a ship's ability to...

The United States' adversaries are exploiting social media, IT, and other aspects of the "information environment" to undermine the nation's security. Such actions can include making false social media posts or interfering with GPS data used by DOD leaders to make decisions about their military options, such as troop positions. In response, DOD educates and trains its leaders to address such threats. However, DOD hasn't...

The Navy is planning to spend $132 billion to develop and purchase 12 Columbia class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines—the largest and most complex submarine in its history. It plans to have the first one delivered in April 2027. The Navy lacks insight into the program's schedule because the shipbuilder hasn't conducted a schedule risk analysis, which can help identify and manage risks to achieving planned...

The DOD has struggled for decades to accurately account for government property in the possession of its contractors. DOD estimated that the value of such unaccounted property is over $220 billion—but that amount is likely significantly understated. This is one of the reasons that federal auditors are unable to audit DOD's financial statements. We found that DOD doesn't have a comprehensive, department-wide strategy to address...

The Department of Defense is working to digitally connect its space, air, land, sea, and cyber assets to help military commanders better communicate and share information in real time. This effort will depend on contributions by all of the military services. The Advanced Battle Management System is the Air Force's contribution to this effort. It is a secure communications network that allows commanders and warfighters...

Plutonium pits are a key component in triggering the nuclear explosion of thermonuclear weapons. The U.S. hasn't manufactured pits regularly since 1989. The National Nuclear Security Administration has been directed to develop the capacity to make at least 80 pits a year by 2030. We found NNSA's plans for re-establishing pit production do not follow best practices and run the risk of cost increases and...

The National Nuclear Security Administration has been reorganized multiple times since its creation in 1999, including most recently in 2022. NNSA has policies to guide its reorganizations. However, these policies only partially follow key practices for agency reforms. For example, NNSA requires that proposed changes have goals. But agency policies don't require developing outcome-oriented goals or collecting data to gauge outcomes. As a result, NNSA...

Military personnel who complete advanced cyber training—which may take a year or more and costs DOD hundreds of thousands of dollars—may not remain in the military for a significant time after training. We found that 2 of the 4 military services are not positioned to ensure adequate return on their investment in advanced cyber training. While the Navy and Air Force require 3 years of...

DOD is upgrading its fleet of fighter and attack planes, known as tactical aircraft. Most of these planes—purchased in the 1970s and 80s—have outlived their planned service lives. Over the next 5 years, DOD is proposing to spend nearly $100 billion on major investments and changes to its current mix of tactical aircraft. This includes modernizing existing aircraft buying and developing new aircraft retiring a...

The U.S. military services operate a combined 36 military correctional facilities around the world. As of 2021, these facilities held 1,131 service members who were awaiting trial or had been sentenced by court-martial. Each service branch is responsible for ensuring the health and safety of the staff and incarcerated service members at their respective facilities. We found: Most of the branches routinely assess whether their...

Can gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and other barriers explain why women make up less than 10% of special operations forces? U.S. Special Operations Command may not have the information needed to fully assess barriers affecting women's careers in the command. For example, the command doesn't have full access to timely, complete data on its assigned personnel, including incidents of discrimination, harassment, and sexual assault. Collaborating...