Navy Ships

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO: (1) compared the costs to home-port the U.S.S. Missouri in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, with those to permanently home-port the battleship in Long Beach, California; and (2) determined whether each location had sufficient repair and maintenance facilities to dry-dock and overhaul the battleship.

GAO found that: (1) the Navy estimated that total nonrecurring and annual recurring costs would be $63.6 million and $47.5 million, respectively, to home-port the battleship at Pearl Harbor; (2) the total nonrecurring and annual recurring costs would be $17 million and $46.3 million, respectively, to permanently home-port the battleship at Long Beach; (3) the Navy could require between $38 million and $59 million to construct 570 to 700 housing units in Pearl Harbor; (4) the Navy estimated that facility design and modification would constitute about $59.8 million of the total nonrecurring cost to accomodate the battleship's home-porting in Pearl Harbor; (5) the Navy estimated that about $3.8 million in nonrecurring costs would be needed to relocate military personnel and their dependents; (6) the Navy excluded $44 million for 516 family housing units from its Long Beach estimate, since the retirement of the U.S.S. New Jersey could make more housing available; (7) as of September 30, 1989, both shipyards had the necessary work forces and facilities to perform major overhauls; (8) the Navy was authorized to convey 122 acres of land in Pearl Harbor to Hawaii for not less than its estimated fair market value of between $31 million and $84 million; and (9) the Navy expected Hawaii to build a causeway and replace and relocate Navy activities on the properties for about $81 million.