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 1996-10-30 monographic deposited born digital 13 p. GA 1.13:NSIAD-97-1 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-1 P0b002ee18037fe95 f:ns97001 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-1 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-1 NSIAD-97-1 Helicopters Cost effectiveness analysis Research and development costs Military procurement Systems conversions Military cost control Life cycle costs Inventory control Military inventories UH-1 Helicopter Huey Helicopter UH-60 Helicopter Blackhawk Helicopter AH-1 Helicopter Cobra Helicopter Letter Report NSIAD

GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) efforts to reduce the number of helicopters in its inventories, focusing on: (1) whether the services were taking advantages of opportunities to increase commonality of helicopters within DOD; and (2) the Marine Corps' plans to modernize its fleet of UH-1 or Huey helicopters.<p/>GAO found that: (1) the Navy, and the Marine Corps have not conducted an in-depth analysis on the economic benefits of buying the alternative Blackhawk utility helicopter and they do not plan to conduct such an analysis; (2) DOD plans to have preliminary results of a commonality analysis 4 months after the decision on whether to proceed with the engineering and manufacturing phase of the Huey upgrade; (3) although the Corps considered a derivative Blackhawk helicopter to be a viable and desirable alternative to its Huey helicopter, it concluded that the derivative's procurement and support costs would be $450 million more than for the Huey upgrade; (4) purchasing the Blackhawk derivative may be a more cost-effective alternative and could save as much as $717 million in research, development, and procurement costs; (5) these savings might be partially offset by an estimated $90 million in increased costs for the Cobra helicopter modernization; and (6) even with the partial offset, savings from the Blackhawk derivative procurement would be available to offset the Corp's procurement and life-cycle costs. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-1/html/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-1.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-1/pdf/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-1.pdf GAO/NSIAD-97-1 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-1 Letter Report GAO/NSIAD-97-1; Aviation Requirements: DOD Should Reassess the Marine Corps' Helicopter Modernization Decision; Helicopters Cost effectiveness analysis Research and development costs Military procurement Systems conversions Military cost control Life cycle costs Inventory control Military inventories UH-1 Helicopter Huey Helicopter UH-60 Helicopter Blackhawk Helicopter AH-1 Helicopter Cobra Helicopter Title 31 Section 720 31 U.S.C. 720