Corrosion Problems in the US Dept. of Defense

The ability of the US Department of Defense (DOD) to respond rapidly and effectively to national security and foreign policy commitments can be adversely affected by equipment-related failures. Using available resources, minimization of downtime and maximization battle readiness must be accomplished through the useful operational lifetime of the equipment. If this is done effectively, equipment can be deployed in a timely and responsive manner and maintained in the Add with a minimum of downtime. 

Corrosion of military equipment and facilities is a significant and ongoing problem. Large amounts of costs are incurred to protect the assets from corrosion, affecting procurement, maintenance, and operations. The effect of corrosion on various types of equipment is a problem that is becoming more prominent as the acquisition of new equipment slows down and more emphasis is placed on total care and operation of the current system. As the intention to operate aging aircraft, ships, land combat vehicles, and submarines continues into the twenty-first century, the potentially detrimental effects of corrosion on the cost of ownership, safety, and readiness must be fiilly appreciated. The effect of corrosion of the DOD equipment will continue to get worse unless and until new technologies ean be used to reduce the cost of ownership. The total annual cost of corrosion to the DOD is approximately 20 billion for systems and infrastructure (45). 

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