NOAA’s Fleet of Ships Operations and Replacement Challenges CDR Cecile Daniels, NOAA Corps Deputy – Program Services Division Office of Marine and Aviation Operations September 14, 2010
O&M Trends
OMAO vs NOAA
Operational Funding Annual appropriations (O&M) fund core operations of OMAO fleet and shore side support staff Approx 3,300 operating days on NOAA ships Approx 750 chartered vessel operating days Even with budget increases, challenged to meet NOAA mission requirements
Capital Asset Funds Procurement, Acquisition and Construction (PAC) funds received for ship construction and major repair / service life extension Challenges Acquisition cost estimate Maintenance costs Life cycle costs / service life assumptions Performance measures / return on investment
Acquisition Cost Estimates Requirements definition Multi-purpose craft or unique capability? Common suite of capabilities Cost trade-off study limitations Estimation tools for advanced research ships limited Initial budget cost estimate accuracy +/- 40%, but estimate held as max cost by NOAA / DOC / OMB
Maintenance Costs Appropriate maintenance and reliability / availability levels not specified Current maintenance constrained by appropriated funds results in substantial work backlog Aging fleet Newer ships increasingly complex
Life cycle costs / service life assumptions No effective way to estimate life cycle costs and perform trade-offs during concept development stage Common support / training advantages and savings 30-year service life realistic given tendency to operate for 35-50 years?
Performance measures / return on investment Effective budget defense for capital acquisition requires Science-based outcome performance measures Efficiency measures Approved plan (e.g. Ship Recap Plan)
NOAA Ship Recapitalization Plan Oct08 - Submitted to Congress
SRP1 Execution FSV6 construction on schedule FSV5 (Shallow-draft) design and construction delayed to FY13 start (at the earliest) FSV7 (Miller Freeman) replacement delayed to FY13 start (at the earliest) NSV class design and construction delayed
Questions? Mission To safely and efficiently operate NOAA ships and aircraft, incorporate emerging data acquisition technologies, and provide a specialized professional team responsive to NOAA programs. Vision To be the best in class for sea and air operations and data acquisition for NOAA and the Nation. http://www.omao.noaa.gov/