US Navy's Ship Operating Costs At Sea Soared By $2.5Bln Over Past Decade - Report

The US Navy's total operation and sustainment (O&S) costs have increased by about $2.5 billion over the past decade from fiscal years 2011 to 2020 for ten ship classes, the Government Accountability Office (IGAO) said in a new report on Tuesday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st January, 2023) The US Navy's total operation and sustainment (O&S) costs have increased by about $2.5 billion over the past decade from fiscal years 2011 to 2020 for ten ship classes, the Government Accountability Office (IGAO) said in a new report on Tuesday.

"Total O&S costs increased by about $2.5 billion from fiscal years 2011 (to) 2020 for the ten ship classes GAO examined, including a $1.2 billion increase in maintenance costs," the report said. "Collectively, the number of steaming hours for the ships declined over the timeframe."

The GAO reviewed key sustainment metrics for ten ship classes and found that from fiscal years 2011 through 2021, they faced persistent and worsening sustainment challenges, the report said.

"Specifically, the number of maintenance cannibalizations (working parts removed and reused elsewhere due to parts shortages), casualty reports (reports of events that impair ships' ability to do a Primary mission), and days of maintenance delay (days beyond the scheduled end date for depot maintenance) have each increased," the report said.

Steaming hours (the number of hours a ship is generally in an operating or training status) have decreased and the Navy is not fully or accurately tracking other key metrics such as operational availability and materiel availability, the GAO added.