The Navy and the Marine Corps Have Not Evaluated Using Federal Civilian Employees and Private Sector Contractors as Workforce Alternatives for Unmanned System Operators

The Navy and the Marine Corps are in the process of rapidly growing  their portfolios of unmanned systems, but have not evaluated the use of  alternative workforces—specifically the use of federal civilian employees  and private sector contractors as unmanned system operators. As a result, OUSD(P&R) and other entities from the Office of  the Secretary of Defense commissioned the Institute for Defense  Analyses to conduct a study, which was published in June 2016, on  alternative staffing strategies to enable DOD to accomplish UAS-related  missions more cost-effectively. The Navy and the Marine Corps Have Not Fully Developed Personnel Requirements for One of Eight Selected Unmanned Systems or Updated Related Policies and Goals

The Navy and the Marine Corps have efforts underway to develop  requirements for operators, maintainers, and other support personnel  needed for selected unmanned systems. Until the Navy  and the Marine Corps update the personnel requirements for the RQ-21  Blackjack based on the most current and enduring concept of operations  and deployment data, the services will lack current information about the  number of operators needed for the squadrons that operate the RQ-21  Blackjack. The Department of the Navy Has Made Positive Steps but Has Not Fully Evaluated and Updated Policies or Clarified Goals for Informing Future Personnel Requirements

			The Navy Has Modified Some UAS Policies but Has Not Fully Evaluated and Updated Policies to Inform Future Personnel Requirements

The Department of the Navy has made some positive steps but has not  fully evaluated and updated its aviation policies for operation and  maintenance of certain UAS to inform the development of future  personnel requirements. Notwithstanding these updates, Marine Corps headquarters- and unit- level officials told us that the policies have not been fully reviewed and  updated to account for differences in UAS of varying sizes and  capabilities, especially group 3 UAS, which are those systems weighing  55 to 1,320 pounds. For example, officials stated that they did not  know if the Department of the Navy expects that fewer personnel should  be needed to operate and support unmanned systems than the numbers  of personnel required for other types of systems. Until the Secretary of the Navy clarifies  overarching goals for unmanned system personnel requirements and  resource priority levels and communicates them to requirements planners  and budget decision makers, the services will be hampered in developing  future personnel requirements and identifying risks as system inventories  grow and operations expand. With the Navy’s commitment to  accelerate the delivery of unmanned systems to the fleet and its budget of  nearly $10 billion to develop and procure those systems in fiscal years  2018 through 2022, having sufficient personnel with the appropriate skills  at the right time will be critical. (Recommendation 2)
The Commandant of the Marine Corps should clarify workforce  planning policies to identify circumstances in which federal civilian  employees and private sector contractors may serve in operational  roles and what the benefits and limitations are of using federal  civilians and private sector contractors as alternative workforces. In its  written comments, reproduced in appendix III, DOD concurred with eight  of our recommendations and partially concurred with two  recommendations. Appendix II: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

This report addresses the extent to which the Navy and the Marine Corps  have (1) evaluated workforce alternatives for their unmanned system  operators, including the use of federal civilian employees and private  sector contractors; (2) developed and updated personnel requirements  and related policies and goals that affect requirements for operators,  maintainers, and other support personnel for selected unmanned  systems; and (3) developed approaches for staffing unmanned system  operators to meet personnel requirements and have met those  requirements.
Why GAO Did This Study

The Department of the Navy has committed to rapidly grow its unmanned systems portfolio. It currently has at least 24 types of systems and has budgeted nearly $10 billion for their development and procurement for fiscal years 2018-2022. Personnel who launch, navigate, and recover the systems are integral to effective operations. Senate Report 114-255 included a provision for GAO to review the Navy's and the Marine Corps' strategies for unmanned system operators. GAO examined, among other things, the extent to which the Navy and the Marine Corps have (1) evaluated workforce alternatives (such as the use of civilians and contractors) for unmanned system operators and (2) developed and updated personnel requirements and related policies and goals for selected unmanned systems. GAO compared documentation on unmanned systems with DOD policies and conducted discussion groups with unmanned system operators.

What GAO Found

The Navy and the Marine Corps are rapidly growing their portfolios of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and unmanned maritime systems and have opted to use military personnel as operators without evaluating alternatives, such as federal civilian employees and private sector contractors. Service officials stated that civilians or contractors are not viable alternatives and policies are unclear about when and how to use them. However, a June 2016 Department of Defense-commissioned study found that alternative staffing strategies could meet the UAS mission more cost-effectively. Military personnel may be the most appropriate option for unmanned systems, but without clarifying policies to identify circumstances in which civilians and contractors may serve in operational roles, the services could continue to make workforce decisions that do not consider all available resources.
The Navy and the Marine Corps have sufficient personnel requirements or efforts underway to develop personnel requirements for seven unmanned systems that GAO reviewed (see fig.), but requirements for one system (i.e., the RQ-21 Blackjack UAS) have not been updated. That system's requirements have not been updated because service entities disagree about whether they are sufficient. Since 2015, units have deployed with about two to three times the personnel that headquarters and command officials expected they would need. Marine Corps officials stated that the Blackjack's personnel requirements were based on an outdated concept of operations and are insufficient for supporting workloads. Without updating the personnel requirements for the Blackjack UAS, the services will lack current information about the number of personnel needed.
The Department of the Navy has taken positive steps but has not fully evaluated and updated aviation policies that affect personnel requirements for certain UAS and lacks clear goals for informing future requirements for all of its UASs. GAO found that the policies do not fully account for differences between UASs of varying sizes and capabilities. These policies require, for example, that the Blackjack UAS be held to the same maintenance standards designed for larger aircraft and UAS, which in turn affects personnel requirements. Until the Department of the Navy evaluates and updates such policies and clarifies related goals, the services will be hampered in developing and updating future requirements as unmanned system inventories grow and operations expand.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is making ten recommendations, including that the Navy and the Marine Corps clarify policies to identify circumstances in which civilians and contractors may serve in operational roles and apply the policies to future evaluations; update personnel requirements for one UAS; and evaluate and update policies and goals to inform future personnel requirements. DOD concurred with eight recommendations and partially concurred with two. As discussed in the report, GAO continues to believe that all ten are warranted.