By Cliff Montgomery – Feb. 18th, 2016
The U.S. may possess the most powerful modern weapons on earth – so it’s a shame that America’s armed forces don’t always know where they keep all their missiles, points out a recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
The Pentagon “manages a stockpile of more than 226,000 SRC [Security Risk Category] I missiles and rockets in the continental United States,” according to the GAO study.
“SRC I conventional ammunition, which refers to non-nuclear, portable missiles and rockets in a ready-to-fire configuration, is managed as a higher risk than other conventional ammunition and serves as a potential threat if it were obtained by unauthorized individuals or groups,” adds the report.
However, the GAO found that America‘s “military services have not consistently ensured timely, complete, and accurate information to maintain full visibility (i.e., access to accurate data) of SRC I ammunition in the continental United States.”
Below, quotes major sections of the GAO report:
“The Department of Defense (DOD) manages a stockpile of sensitive conventional ammunition valued at nearly $112 billion as of October 2015.
“One category of this sensitive conventional ammunition is identified as Security Risk Category (SRC) I ammunition, which is non-nuclear, portable missiles and rockets in a ready-to-fire configuration.
“SRC I ammunition is treated as a higher risk than other conventional ammunition and serves as a potential threat if it were obtained and used by unauthorized individuals or groups.
“SRC I ammunition requires a higher level of protection and security than that provided for SRC II through SRC IV conventional ammunition. Examples of SRC I ammunition include: Stinger and Javelin missiles, the 66-mm Light Anti-Tank Weapon, and the M136 Anti-Armor Weapon.
“As of April 30, 2015, there were at least 226,000 SRC I ammunition items located in the continental United States.
“To help to adequately protect these items and minimize the risk of loss or theft, the military services have a critical role to maintain accountability [i.e., accurate records] and visibility [i.e., access to accurate information] of SRC I ammunition upon acquisition until use or demilitarization.
“DOD has issued guidance on how the military services should physically safeguard, track, inventory, and ship SRC I ammunition within and between services and to contractors for repair.” […]
“Senate Report 113-176 (2014) included a provision for GAO to review aspects of DOD’s management of SRC I ammunition.
“This [GAO] report addresses the extent to which the military services have maintained (1)accountability (i.e., accurate records) and (2) visibility (i.e., access to accurate information) of SRC I ammunition in the continental United States.” […]
“The military services maintained accountability of Security Risk Category (SRC) I conventional ammunition at 11 sampled locations within the continental United States – however, GAO identified gaps in some service-level guidance and procedures for how SRC I ammunition is accounted for across locations.” […]
“[For example,] GAO identified 55 SRC I ammunition items that were in the physical custody of the Air Force—though owned by the Army or Marine Corps—but accountability was not maintained in any service’s system of record while at the Air Force location.
“Department of Defense (DOD) policy requires that the DOD component having physical custody of materiel maintain accountability in its records regardless of the owner, but the Air Force’s guidance requires that ammunition owned by other services be tracked only in a ‘non-accountable’ program.
“If the Air Force does not revise its guidance to require that accountability be maintained regardless of ownership, the Air Force and the owning service will not have complete records of management of the ammunition and the owning service will not have full assurance that accountability was maintained.
“GAO [also] found that Army and Marine Corps guidance does not specify a time frame for receipting shipments of SRC I ammunition.
“Records showed that 12 of 21 shipments to Army depots and 5 of 30 shipments to Marine Corps locations were receipted more than 2 business days after truck arrival.
“Until Army and Marine Corps officials finalize and implement guidance on required time frames for receipting SRC I ammunition, officials cannot reasonably assure accountability for all shipped SRC I ammunition.
“The military services have not consistently ensured timely, complete, and accurate information to maintain full visibility of SRC I ammunition in the continental United States.” […]
“GAO recommends that DOD revise and finalize guidance and improve the timeliness, completeness, and accuracy of information to maintain full accountability and visibility of SRC I ammunition. “DOD concurred with all six [GAO] recommendations and identified specific steps it has already taken as well as plans to address them.”
