The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has flagged the army’s ongoing modernization drive, saying new assets are being delivered to troops without adequate planning.
In a report published July 15, the watchdog said that while the service has generally met its deployment requirements, it regularly fails to fully ensure that facilities, personnel, and training are ready before deploying a new system.
It claimed that as of late 2023, the army had fielded six priority equipment items “with at least one incomplete planning element” at the time the first units received them.
“When the army fields new equipment to units without fully completing the planning elements, units may not be well positioned to operate the new equipment,” the report stated.
Adequate planning could incur more unexpected costs, additional labor hours, and unnecessary delays, according to GAO.
It could also undermine ongoing efforts to develop weapons and military equipment and put them to use faster.
Corrective Actions
The US Army has committed billions of dollars to modernizing its units with the most advanced weapon systems and equipment available.
However, a bill provision requires the GAO, a nonpartisan agency that provides investigative services for the US Congress, to assess the status, progress, budget implications, and potential challenges of the modernization drive.
It recommended several corrective actions, including determining and adjusting processes so the service can better complete the planning elements by the time it fields new equipment.
It also wants the army to ensure that equipment meets required standards before they are transferred to other units.
Additionally, the GAO told the Secretary of the Army to document planning processes and adjustments to ensure that they are properly followed.