NORFOLK, Va. — Bad news for the Navy.
A new report from the Government Accountability Office reveals troubling long-term trends when it comes to repairing ships and keeping them in the fight.
The GAO has found that the Navy is struggling to maintain many of its warships. The study looked at 151 cruisers, aircraft carriers, destroyers, littoral combat ships, and amphibious vessels in the Navy inventory.
What it found wasn't good.
"We found that these ships faced persistent and worsening sustainment challenges," said Diana Maurer, a Director in the GAO's Defense Capabilities and Management team, where she currently leads work overseeing defense sustainment and readiness issues.
Maurer continued: "Sailors were removing parts from one ship and using them on another. The amount of time to perform maintenance was increasing and the amount of time ships were spending on training and operating was decreasing."
According to the report, the analysis of key metrics showed that 10 ship classes are experiencing sustainment challenges.
The amount of money needed to maintain the ships has risen by $2.5 billion, but their operating hours have significantly decreased over the last decade.
Seven of the 10 classes have also experienced an increase in cost per operating hour.
The GAO found that the San Antonio-class amphibious transport docks and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers suffered the greatest increases in maintenance delays.
The report states: "Over time, this situation has resulted in worsening ship conditions and increased costs to repair and sustain ships."
Maurer added: "When ships require more time than planned for maintenance, that means less time for training for operational missions."