sustainment

We are likely to see a sustainment of the increased defence spending across the board, as states around the globe adjust away from what has been a relatively benign period.”

But, she added, “I’m not in a position to tell you when the city will enter the sustainment period.”

“That is a highly, highly complex operation, not to be taken lightly. It’s going to require all of their forces and it’s going to require a significant amount of expertise, precision, timing, sustainment.”

Those problems mainly revolve around the sky-high long-term operational, maintenance and sustainment costs, which account for at least $1.3 trillion of the program’s lifetime price tag of $1.7 trillion, the GAO said.

The GAO, which delivered its findings to congressional leaders earlier this month, recommended that the Pentagon designate a specific entity responsible for overseeing sustainment of the entire MDS.