Navy Laboratories

This briefing report answers several questions about the relocation of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center from Suffolk, Virginia, to Newport, Rhode Island, a move endorsed by the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission. The relocation came shortly after a new $27 million submarine support center had opened in Suffolk. GAO concludes that the Navy will save about $11 million annually by consolidating the Norfolk center with its division headquarters in Newport. The Navy still faces transferring about 500 scientists and 2,000 tons of equipment at a cost of about $1.8 million. The U.S. Atlantic Command is already negotiating to lease the Suffolk building for use as a new training complex.

GAO found that: (1) under the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission's (BRAC) recommendations, the Norfolk detachment will be closed and relocated to the NUWC Newport division, leaving 9 personnel in Norfolk to monitor ships entering and leaving Norfolk harbor; (2) the Navy will need to move about 2,000 tons of equipment from Norfolk to the Newport division; (3) the Navy estimates that travel between Newport and Norfolk will decrease at a savings of about $800,000, but the outside study estimates that net travel costs will increase by $6 million; (4) the Navy plans to accommodate the Norfolk detachment in 4 Navy-owned facilities made available by the Newport division's downsizing at a refurbishing cost of $2.08 million; (5) the Navy's estimates of costs and equipment to be moved are more accurate than the outside study's estimates; (6) the Navy has not significantly understated the impact of disestablishing the Norfolk detachment except for the moving, travel, and leasing costs; (7) NUWC will incur no lease costs for its Suffolk facility if another Department of Defense agency leases it as anticipated; (8) the Navy had planned to use the Suffolk facility in consolidating its engineering centers and reduce the construction budget at the main consolidation site, but the consolidation site has been changed to a more distant location; (9) the Navy has amended its closure recommendation to leave 70 personnel in Norfolk to meet support requirements, but that recommendation may not be legal under BRAC legislation; and (10) the relocation will produce budget savings between $3.029 million and $11 million per year and have a cost recovery period between 1 and 7 years.