Research for Requirements

The study analyzes spending on base operating support (BOS) activities at 144 domestic naval installations. Statistical regression techniques are used to derive a cost-estimating relationship (CER) that relates BOS spending to such base characteristics as the number of military personnel and the total building area. The CER is then applied to several issues concerning the management of the Naval shore establishment: whether there are economies of scale in BOS spending that could be captured through base consolidation; how a given total BOS budget should be allocated across bases that differ in characteristics; and whether statistically-derived cost estimating relationships are better tools for analysis of BOS spending than simple ratios, such as BOS cost per mission person, that are favored by OSD.

This document consists of reprints from 'Hearings before the Subcommittee on Military Construction of the Committee on Armed Services,' U.S. Senate, 93rd Congress. Reprints are based on inputs from indicated CNA authors.

Regression analysis is used to estimate the effects of steaming on a ship's condition and fuel consumption. Equipment condition of destroyers, cruisers and frigates is measured with data from Casualty Reports (CASREPTs) that were made between Jan 1970 and Jul 1975. A separate analysis is undertaken of steaming's effects on each of three components of CASREPT downtime--CASREPT rate, supply time, and maintenance time. The effects of various factors besides steaming are also measured, including ship's fleet (Atlantic or Pacific), ship's class, and time since overhaul. Steaming's effects on diesel, JP5, and other fuel are estimated for each of 13 ship classes and also for the typical destroyer.

A base of inventory and utilization data for computers, aircraft, and radars was developed through a survey and the future availability of the capital services from these assets was projected. In addition to the services from federally-operated assets, the projections include those from other sources such as universities and contractor-operated laboratories. The utilization data include both actual and potential full use of each asset, and these data are used to address the extent of possible underutilization of the assets. The projected services are compared with the reported requirements of agency-approved atmospheric research programs to provide an initial estimate of the adequacy of the planned capital inventory.