Navy Ships: Lessons of Prior Programs May Reduce New Attack Submarine Cost Increases and Delays

United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office National Security and International Affairs Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1994-10-20 monographic deposited born digital 22 p. GA 1.13:NSIAD-95-4 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-4 P0b002ee18037d910 f:ns95004 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-4 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-4 NSIAD-95-4 Navy procurement Nuclear powered submarines Construction (process) Construction contracts Cost analysis Contract administration Shipbuilding industry Cost overruns Defense cost control Construction costs Seawolf Attack Submarine SSN-21 Submarine NSSN Attack Submarine SSN-22 Submarine Letter Report NSIAD Navy Ships: Lessons of Prior Programs May Reduce New Attack Submarine Cost Increases and Delays Lessons learned from prior submarine programs, particularly the Seawolf, could help the Navy save as much as $100 million in acquisition costs while improving design quality and construction for the SSN, the latest class of nuclear-power attack submarine. Specifically, the Navy may want to (1) contract with a single shipyard to both design and build the lead submarine, (2) delay lead ship construction until the ship's design is substantially mature, (3) strengthen the specification development and approval process, (4) identify critical components and supply vendors early in the program, and (5) reduce submarine combat system development risks. Because of the importance of applying both management and technical lessons, GAO believes that the formal Defense Department approved acquisition strategy should spell out specifically how the Navy will avoid repeating the problems of earlier programs. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-4/html/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-4.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-4/pdf/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-4.pdf GAO/NSIAD-95-4 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-4 Letter Report GAO/NSIAD-95-4; Navy Ships: Lessons of Prior Programs May Reduce New Attack Submarine Cost Increases and Delays; Navy procurement Nuclear powered submarines Construction (process) Construction contracts Cost analysis Contract administration Shipbuilding industry Cost overruns Defense cost control Construction costs Seawolf Attack Submarine SSN-21 Submarine NSSN Attack Submarine SSN-22 Submarine