Depot Maintenance

Maintenance of T700 Series Engines for U.S. Forces in Korea Gao ID: NSIAD-99-234R August 13, 1999

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed a proposal to have a Korean contractor perform depot-level maintenance of U.S. Forces Korea helicopter engines on the Korean peninsula, focusing on the Army's plans to: (1) increase U.S. Forces Korea engine war reserve stocks and improve their management within the Korean theater; (2) increase aviation repair and maintenance capabilities on the Korean peninsula; and (3) continue performing complete T700 series engine overhauls in the United States.

GAO noted that: (1) the Commander in Chief of the United Nations Command (CINCUNC) has emphasized the need to meet surge and sustainment requirements during the initial stage of a contingency situation should one occur in Korea; (2) the Army has increased its local war reserve stocks of T700 series engines; (3) Army activities in Korea are taking management actions to ensure that war reserve records are maintained accurately in theater and that the engines on hand are ready for issue; (4) further, the Army plans to expand the capabilities of an in-theater U.S. Army maintenance facility so that it can handle more extensive depot repairs for T700 series engines and other systems and equipment; (5) it also plans to establish a forward supply activity that will stock additional parts for engines and other critical systems; (6) engines and engine modules in need of complete overhaul will continue to be shipped to the Corpus Christi, Texas, Army Depot, with overflow going to a contractor facility; (7) Army officials believe that the Corpus Christi Army Depot workload will not be significantly affected; (8) the issue of whether this work should be done in theater by a Korean contractor or in a U.S. Army facility in theater, using contract employees, is one that has been the subject of discussions between Army officials and officials in the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology; and (9) since CINCUNC agrees that the Army's plans will meet surge and sustainment requirements, the proposal to have a Korean contractor perform helicopter engine depot-level maintenance has been set aside.



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