Summary

GAO reviewed Department of Defense (DOD) justification for its fiscal year 1984 appropriation requests for ammunition and for expanding the ammunition production base. GAO focused on: (1) ammunition items with the largest dollar amounts; (2) items being procured for the first time; (3) items having production or performance problems; and (4) Army projects for modernizing and expanding the ammunition production base.

GAO found that most ammunition items were adequately justified, but recommended that the total DOD request for ammunition be reduced by $433.6 million. With regard to the Army's appropriation request, GAO reviewed 80 items representing $1.63 billion and recommended that requests for 14 items be reduced by $222.8 million. GAO reviewed 36 Marine Corps items worth $438.2 million and recommended the reduction of two items by $14.6 million. A total of 63 Navy items worth $607.2 million were reviewed, and GAO recommended the reduction of 12 items by $68.2 million. GAO also reviewed 21 items representing $1,029.5 million of the Air Force appropriation request and recommended that 7 items be reduced by $128 million. Finally, with regard to the ammunition production base support projects, GAO reviewed eight projects worth $123.4 million and recommended that requests for five projects be reduced by $100.8 million.