Watchdog faults U.S. Navy approach to building unmanned carrier planes

The Government Accountability Office on Thursday faulted the U.S. Navy's plan to spend $3.7 billion to develop, build and field a new unmanned carrier-based warplane without subjecting the program to a rigorous review until 2020.

In a report for lawmakers, the congressional research agency criticized the Navy's plan to skip a "Milestone B" review until after initial deployment of the plane in 2020, arguing that this strategy would limit Congress' ability to oversee the program and hold it accountable for schedule, cost and performance.

Major acquisition programs are required by the Pentagon to undergo a comprehensive review after its preliminary design has been approved. At that "Milestone B" review, senior defense officials look at the military requirements and independent cost estimates for the program, and certify that it has reasonable cost and schedule estimates.

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