Non-Subscriber ExtractUS GAO warns of operational cost shortfalls in LCS programme |
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By Sam LaGrone
05 February 2010
The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) says the US Navy (USN) does not have all of the data it needs to back up the operational costs of the 55 planned Littoral Combat Ships (LCSs) ahead of the selection of a single hull.
The GAO's report on 2 February comes ahead of a navy plan to choose between two competing hull designs for the next 10 ships in mid-2010.
The report said the USN did not take into account increases in cost estimates and changes in key operational requirements, or have its numbers checked by independent assessors in determining the 2009 estimate of USD84.8 billion for operational and support costs for the LCS hulls and mission packages until 2050.
By the time the navy completes an assessment of the operational and maintenance requirements for the LCS in 2013, it will have committed to building half of the total number of ships required, according to the GAO.