1993 Defense Budget

GAO concludes that most items in the military services' $1.2 billion fiscal year 1993 request for ammunition and the Army's $193 million request for production base support are justified. But $255.2 million, or 17.5 percent, of the fiscal year 1993 request is unjustified and should not be funded. Further, $9.6 million can be rescinded from the fiscal year 1992 appropriation, and $10.6 million can be rescinded from the fiscal year 1991 appropriation.

GAO found that: (1) the Army's FY 1993 budget request could be reduced by $191.3 million because projected inventories will exceed needs and because not all requested maintenance and layaway funds will be needed for the specific purposes cited; (2) the Army does not need $4.1 million in 1992 funds for the renovation of Operation Desert Storm ammunition; (3) the Navy's FY 1993 budget request could be reduced by $15.7 million because it overestimated training needs and no longer plans to procure a specific ammunition item; (4) the Navy no longer planned to procure $10.6 million in general purpose bombs from FY 1991 appropriated funds; (5) the Air Force's FY 1993 budget request could be reduced by $26.5 million because of reduced requirements due to mission changes, overstated unit costs, and excessive inventory; (6) the Air Force received $5.5 million in FY 1992 funds for unneeded ammunition; and (7) the Marine Corps' FY 1993 budget request could be reduced by $21.7 million because inventory needs will be exceeded, the procurement of one item is uneconomical, and its request for certain ammunition was premature.

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: Team: Phone: