BRUNSWICK (AP) – A new report says it’s going to be a “challenge” for the Defense Department to meet its base closing timeline, but the closing of Brunswick Naval Air Station remains on schedule.

The Government Accountability Office report comes after the Defense Department in 2005 introduced the largest and costliest of the five Base Realignment and Closure Commission rounds in an effort to reshape defense resources to meet needs for the next 20 years.

The report contends the department is at risk for missing the mandated deadline of Sept. 15, 2011, to complete closings and realignments at 800 military installations. Activities at half those bases won’t be completed until a week or two before the deadline, the report said.

John James, spokesman for the Brunswick base, said there are no concerns about the Navy meeting the deadline for transferring the Brunswick property to a local civilian agency.

“Naval Air Station Brunswick is on schedule to close in May of 2011 as planned,” James said. “We will be closed no later than Sept. 15, 2011, as required by law.”

In addition to running behind schedule, the cost of the 2005 BRAC recommendations have jumped by $1.2 billion to an estimated $32.4 billion and savings have shrunk by an estimated $13 million.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said the GAO report is further proof that the Defense Department underestimated the costs and overstated the savings.

“The report clearly shows that it will cost more, and take longer than planned, to implement the BRAC recommendations and take longer than expected to realize any potential savings,” she said.

The report analyzed the military installations expected to save the most money through closing or restructuring. Twenty-four of the 182 BRAC recommendations, including Brunswick Naval Air Station, are expected to yield more than 80 percent of the estimated savings.

Closing Brunswick’s base will carry a one-time cost of $300 million, but it’s projected to save $99 million annually or $717 million in 20 years.

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Information from: The Times Record, http://www.timesrecord.com