Navy Air Launched Missiles--Increased Availability Through Improved Inspection and Maintenance Scheduling Practices

Gao ID: C-PLRD-82-2 December 16, 1981

The Navy's tactical air-to-air missiles are a key element of U.S. defense. Many of the Navy's surface-launched and air-to-surface missiles met or exceeded asset readiness objectives, the yearend percentage goal of serviceable assets divided by total assets, for fiscal year 1980. However, the Navy did not achieve its objectives for the Sparrow, Sidewinder, and PHOENIX tactical air-to-air missiles for fiscal year 1980 and for the first 6 months of fiscal year 1981. GAO made this review to determine the Navy's effectiveness in managing its existing inventory of Sparrow, Sidewinder, and PHOENIX air-to-air missiles. GAO focused primarily on ways the Navy can optimize the availability of these missiles to sustain wartime operations.

The large number of these unserviceable missiles is one of several factors which limits the Navy's ability to achieve its asset readiness objectives. The Navy, therefore, must intensively manage its existing inventory by using maintenance practices that assure the optimum availability of a limited number of air-launched missiles. After recognizing that serviceable missiles were being received into the naval weapons stations' inventory as unserviceable, the Navy took several actions to reduce the number of unserviceable missiles being admitted. However, additional actions are needed. In some cases, missiles arriving at the weapons stations are being placed in storage and must await inspection and maintenance because advance inspection results are not being adequately considered. As a result, the Navy is not always achieving the most rapid possible turnaround of its missiles and may be increasing maintenance costs.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

Director: John Landicho Team: General Accounting Office: Procurement, Logistics, and Readiness Division Phone: (202) 275-3697


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