Acquisition of Mine Countermeasures Ships

In March 1980, the Chief of Naval Operations issued a decision to build a wooden-hulled Mine Countermeasures (MCM) ship based on the existing Minesweeper, Ocean 523 design. The MCM class ships will clear bottom and moored mines in coastal and offshore areas. In FY 1983, the MCM ship program was approved for 14 ships at an estimated cost of $1.3 billion. By FY 1991, as a result of contract modifications and inflation, the program had grown to $1.7 billion. The MCM ship program is managed by the Program Manager Ship 303 at the Naval Sea Systems Command. The audit's overall objective was to evaluate the acquisition management of the MCM ship program to determine whether the MCM ships were effective, properly supported, and economically procured. The audit also included a review of applicable internal controls.