The Navy's F/A-18 Aircraft Acquisition Program

GAO discussed its review of the Navy's F/A-18 Aircraft Acquisition Program. Using F/A-18 support funds to pay for increases in the costs of building the F/A-18 does not appear to have adversely affected the Navy's ability to adequately support the aircraft in any significant way. However, although logistics support does not appear to have been adversely affected, these funding practices cause concern. Some funds shifted from the F/A-18 support budget were project management reserves. According to Navy officials, these reserves were not identified in the budget but were placed in various support line items to cover anticipated cost growth. The Navy has or will soon shift an estimated $139 million from funds budgeted for other Navy aircraft acquisition programs to the F/A-18. In March 1983, the Secretary of Defense approved full production of the F/A-18 to fulfill the Navy's light attack mission. This action followed an independent evaluation by the Navy's Operational Test and Evaluation Force made from May to October 1982. The independent testers noted several deficiencies, the range of the aircraft being the most serious, and the testers recommended that service-use-approval of the F/A-18 for the Navy's light attack mission not be granted. The Navy believes that the problems identified in the operational test and evaluation have been or will be corrected.