GROTON, Conn. (AP) - A government report recommends the Navy give more submarine repair work to private yards to save money.

The Day of New London, Connecticut, reports a study released Monday by the Government Accountability Office found that the Navy hadn't "effectively allocated maintenance work between public and private shipyards." According to the GAO, attack submarines have lost more than 10,000 operational days in the past 10 years because of idle time.

The GAO suggests the Navy use private shipyards like Electric Boat to balance the load despite the Navy's claims that public yards are less expensive.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney and other legislators requested the report following congressional hearings on attack submarines. Courtney says the report will serve as a "launching pad" for talks in the House Armed Services Committee.