Waste of the Day: Weapons Cost Overruns
Topline: The Army and Navy found 14 weapons systems that had “critical cost growth” in 2023 and 2024, meaning it will cost at least 25% more than expected to maintain them until they are defunct. The cost overruns total $695.2 billion, according to data in an April report by the Government Accountability Office.
Key facts: The weapons are already built, but repairing and operating them is typically expensive, according to the GAO.
Not all of the cost overruns are an issue, because some of the weapons will last longer than initially expected, thus justifying the added cost. A fleet of Army trucks was expected to last 20 years, but the military now plans to spend an extra $9.7 billion to make them last an extra decade.
But other cost overruns were due to poor predictions and “confusion,” the report states. Fuel for the Navy’s Boeing P-8A Poseidon airplanes is more expensive than expected. Some weapons require more labor to repair or use than anticipated, like Arleigh Burke-class destroyer ships that need more soldiers on board than the Navy realized.
The report found that the military took “some” steps to reduce cost overruns already identified in 2021 and 2022, but there is more to be done. The Army never installed a software update in most of its Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station — a system that lets soldiers see targets while sitting safely inside a tank — that would save $130 million in maintenance costs.
Some weapons systems were not reviewed because the military could not figure out how much they were originally estimated to cost. The Air Force did not identify any weapons with critical cost growth.
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Background: The military and the GAO have tracked cost overruns every year since 2021, but the current report is the final one. The requirement was eliminated in the military’s 2026 budget as part of House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers’ effort to “streamline” weapons production.
Summary: A capable military is also a cost-efficient one. Money spent on cost overruns could have instead been budgeted more effectively to ensure the Pentagon is getting the best value for its purchases.
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