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Category Archives: National Defense
From Submarines to Fighter Jets—Repairing DOD’s Vast Array of Weapon Systems
DOD’s repair depots ensure that critical weapon systems like aircraft, submarines, and tanks are ready for military operations. But if these depots can’t complete maintenance on time, DOD’s weapon systems can’t be used for operations and training. So, how are … Continue reading
Posted in About GAO, National Defense, Topics
Tagged Air Force, Army, Defense Department, depots, Diana Maurer, Marine Corps, military readiness, Navy
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From Search and Rescue to Special Forces: The U.S. Coast Guard’s Many Missions
The U.S. Coast Guard is responsible for conducting a number of essential activities, including protecting ports and safeguarding marine resources. However, since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Coast Guard’s responsibilities have increasingly focused on homeland security missions, and it has … Continue reading
Creating Explosives for Nuclear Weapons
Those yellow pebbles pictured on the left? While they might look a lot like Halloween candy, they are far from it. They’re actually formulated explosives the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration uses to create weapons. In today’s WatchBlog, … Continue reading
GAO’s Summer Reading List
Tomorrow is Read a Book Day! Or, if you’re an American high schooler, happy Finish Your Summer Reading List day! Those classics that teachers assign during the hotter months may not qualify as awesome beach reading, but plenty of those … Continue reading
Posted in Health Care, Homeland Security, National Defense
Tagged Bombs, children, Contracting and National Security Acquisitions, Cristina Chaplain, David Trimble, Department of Defense, Education Workforce and Income Security, Kathryn Larin, Natural Resources and the Environment, Navy, Navy ships, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, radioactive materials, Shelby Oakley, shipbuilding, Space acquisition programs, Space systems, Trauma care
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Troubling Trends in DOD’s Weapon Programs
The Department of Defense’s 82 largest complex programs cost an estimated $1.69 trillion. We annually assess how DOD is managing and overseeing these major acquisition programs in our “Quick Look” reports. In today’s WatchBlog, we discuss some of our observations … Continue reading
Posted in National Defense, Podcast, Quick Look
Tagged acquisition, acquisition management, acquisition planning, acquisition reform, acquisitions, Air Force, Army, best practices, CNSA, competitive bids, contracts, Department of Defense, DOD, F-35, federal contracts, government contracting, knowledge-based best practices, major weapon systems, Navy, quick look, Shelby Oakley, Virginia Class Submarine, weapon acquisitions, weapon programs, weapon systems
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Federal Government Contracting for Fiscal Year 2018 (infographic)
With tax season over, now is a good time to look at how the government uses your tax dollars. About 40% of the government’s discretionary spending goes to contracts for goods and services covering everything from health care to hand … Continue reading
Posted in Budget and Spending, Government Operations, Homeland Security, Infographic, National Defense, Science and Technology
Tagged Bill Woods, budget, CNSA, competitive bids, contracting, defense spending, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, DOD, federal spending, government contracting, high risk list, NASA, small business
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DOD: Prioritizing Amid Changing Threats
The 2018 National Defense Strategy (which guides the military’s defense priorities) calls for the Department of Defense (DOD) to urgently develop a lethal, resilient, and rapidly adapting joint force in order to address growing threats to U.S. security. But how … Continue reading
Emerging Threats to the United States
The United States faces many threats to our political, economic, military, and social systems that could hurt national security. Federal agencies, including the Departments of Defense, State, and Homeland Security, as well as the Office of the Director of National … Continue reading
Posted in Homeland Security, National Defense
Tagged Brian Mazanec, climate change, DCM, demographic changes, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, dual-use technology, emerging threats, IAT, Joseph Kirschbaum, military advancement, National Intelligence, national security, weapon systems, weapons
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Love is in the Air: A GAO Mixtape, Part 2
Today, we celebrate our love for you – and our work. Maybe you noticed this with our first Valentine’s Day mixtape last year? We Crush on providing you with objective, reliable information that helps the government save money and work … Continue reading
Posted in Business Regulation and Consumer Protection, Communications, Education, National Defense, Tax Policy and Administration
Tagged Air Force, Allison Bawden, CNSA, college prep, contractor oversight, counterfeit, Cristina Chaplain, Customs and Border Protection, DCM, Defense Department, Department of Education, Department of Energy, DOD, emergency communication, EWIS, F-22, firefighter, first responders, homeland security, IAT, identity theft, IRS, Jackie Nowicki, James McTigue, John Pendleton, Kim Gianopoulos, Mark Goldstein, National Nuclear Security Administration, NRE, PI, pilots, police, poverty, public schools, satellites, tax fraud, Valentine's Day
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How Prepared is the Air Force?
Air Force readiness has declined steadily since the 1990s as its aircraft fleet has aged and become smaller. The Air Force is working to rebuild the readiness of its force but has also stated that it must grow significantly to … Continue reading
