The payback of corrosion-prevention is more than money.

Photo Courtesy 10th Combat Aviation Brigade

Don’t get us wrong, increasing corrosion-prevention measures can save an enormous amount of money - we’re talking billions annually. And when the Corrosion Program Office studied corrosion-prevention initiatives over a six-year period, they estimated the ROI was 50:1.*

But the payback of corrosion-prevention extends beyond cost savings. Its positive impact on readiness is equally important (some argue even more important). Corrosion is responsible for 1.15 million Non-Available Days (NADs) annually across the DoD. That equates to 3100 years of downtime each year. A reduction of just .15 million NADs, would save the equivalent of 410 years of downtime! 

Corrosion-prevention also plays a key role in reducing Total Ownership Cost and extending the lifecycles of critical assets.

Payback that’s much harder to measure is how corrosion-prevention improves the life of the warfighter. It protects pilots from the dangers of instrument failure (see our post on the hidden dangers of corrosion). It protects soldiers from operating in damp and moldy armored vehicles. Believe it or not, it can even improve morale by eliminating tedious jobs, instilling pride in readiness levels, and providing peace-of-mind to senior leadership.

The DoD is right to put such emphasis on dealing with corrosion - the benefits extend well beyond the bottom line.

* GOA-11-318SP

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