Navy Modernization
Alternatives for Achieving a More Affordable Force Gao ID: T-NSIAD-94-171 April 26, 1994The Navy will be asking Congress for billions of dollars in the coming years to recapitalize the fleet and maintain the defense industrial base. Even if Congress authorizes the programs being requested, the Navy will face an affordability problem. Past experience strongly suggests that some costs will be higher than projected and some savings will never materialize. More importantly, GAO believes that alternatives exist to the Defense Department and Navy proposals that could effectively protect national security at significantly lower cost. These alternatives include using less costly means to provide overseas presence, using existing aircraft and missiles for deep attack, and changing shipbuilding industrial base-related decisions.