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U.S. Military Weapons Cost Overruns in the Billions: Report
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Tue, 18 Apr 2006, 02:02
A survey of major U.S. weapons development programs found an estimated $23 billion in cost overruns and an average two years delay in reaching production, a government report said April 14.
The Government Accountability Office, a congressional audit agency, said that of 23 major weapons program that it reviewed, 10 had already reported cost overruns of greater than 30 percent and production delays of at least a year.
Most of the other programs were still too early in the development cycle to be effectively analyzed, it said.
The report noted that the Pentagon plans to spend $1.3 trillion on weapons development and procurement from 2005 to 2009, $800 million of which still lies ahead.
”If DoD (the Department of Defense) manages its current portfolio of weapons within traditional margins of error, the financial consequences could be dire,” the GAO warned.
The Aerial Common Sensor, a next-generation electronic surveillance plane, was 45 percent over the initial cost and two years behind schedule.
The army’s Future Combat System, a group of 15 networked manned and unmanned combat vehicles that are supposed to replace tanks and armored vehicles, is 48 percent over the initial cost estimates and four years behind schedule.
The Joint Strike Fighter, a stealthy new fighter, was 30 percent over and 23 months behind.
The Global Hawk, an unmanned spy plane used in Iraq and Afghanistan, was 166 percent over cost, while the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, the latest version of the Marines’ amphibious combat vehicle, was 61 percent over initial cost estimates and four years behind schedule.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Tue, 18 Apr 2006, 02:02
A survey of major U.S. weapons development programs found an estimated $23 billion in cost overruns and an average two years delay in reaching production, a government report said April 14.
The Government Accountability Office, a congressional audit agency, said that of 23 major weapons program that it reviewed, 10 had already reported cost overruns of greater than 30 percent and production delays of at least a year.
Most of the other programs were still too early in the development cycle to be effectively analyzed, it said.
The report noted that the Pentagon plans to spend $1.3 trillion on weapons development and procurement from 2005 to 2009, $800 million of which still lies ahead.
”If DoD (the Department of Defense) manages its current portfolio of weapons within traditional margins of error, the financial consequences could be dire,” the GAO warned.
The Aerial Common Sensor, a next-generation electronic surveillance plane, was 45 percent over the initial cost and two years behind schedule.
The army’s Future Combat System, a group of 15 networked manned and unmanned combat vehicles that are supposed to replace tanks and armored vehicles, is 48 percent over the initial cost estimates and four years behind schedule.
The Joint Strike Fighter, a stealthy new fighter, was 30 percent over and 23 months behind.
The Global Hawk, an unmanned spy plane used in Iraq and Afghanistan, was 166 percent over cost, while the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, the latest version of the Marines’ amphibious combat vehicle, was 61 percent over initial cost estimates and four years behind schedule.
