File:US Navy 030409-N-6141B-003 Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Christian Videtto performs preventive maintenance corrosion control on one of the 50 cal. machine guns mounted on the bow of the guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook’s. Rust and corrosion problem dog the military to the tune of $23.0 billion a year in costs.
Contained within the pages of the Committee Report 22 of 108 – House Report 113-102 – National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal year 2014 are references to corrosion costs, which now exceeds $23.0 billion dollars per year:
“The committee continues to push the Department of Defense to confront its hardware corrosion challenge. Corrosion remains the largest preventable cost to the U.S. military, a cost which exceeds $23.0 billion per year. Corrosion results in decreased readiness, increased manpower requirements, and significantly higher life-cycle sustainment costs. In the current budget environment, it is critical that the Department of Defense focus on affordable sustainment of its hardware. Failing to protect the Department of Defense’s hardware from the preventable problem of corrosion leaves hardware susceptible to the damage and degradation associated with exposure to heat, dust, ultraviolet rays, and moisture.
The committee encourages the military services to follow the lead of the Department of the Navy and set a comprehensive, service-wide strategy to mitigate corrosion that includes fielding more waterproof, breathable anti-corrosive cover technologies that have been shown to significantly reduce corrosion and have demonstrated effectiveness in overseas contingency operations and at units’ home stations.
The committee encourages the military services to incorporate commercially available capabilities in developing requirements for low-cost protective covers that provide protection from water and particulate intrusion; elimination of microclimates in covered objects; mold and mildew protection; ultraviolet ray resistance; flexure and handling ability in extreme climates; and durability” (source: Committee report 113-102 http://thomas.loc.gov).
Se video: Corrosion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luf4P1gcukc and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMr4vse7Ybo
See also video: Spotlight on Corrosion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKvroCboUVc