Marine Corps upset with Navy’s ship readiness shortcomings.

The Navy’s Struggle to Keep Ships Running

The Navy’s ability to maintain and operate ships has been declining for over a decade, resulting in a less-ready force when it comes to defending against China, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office. The Marine Corps, which relies on Navy ships for transportation and positioning, has also been affected by the Navy’s inability to keep ships running. The report found that while the Army and Marines have managed to maintain or increase troop readiness, the Navy’s sea forces have been on the decline.

Challenges Facing the Navy

• Increasing maintenance delays
• More platforms being raided for spare parts
• More ships reporting serious breakdowns and failures
• Ship repair and upkeep delays grew from an average of five days in 2011 to 19 in 2021
• A decrease in steaming hours
• A shortage of spare parts for ships
• An increase in cannibalizations per ship every year from 2015 to 2021
• More ships reporting serious parts failures

The Wasp-class amphibious assault ships have been one of the biggest problems for the Navy, with an increase of about 43 such failures from fiscal year 2011 to fiscal year 2021. These ships are crucial for transporting Marines to mission areas, and the Navy’s failure to keep them running has frustrated Marine Corps officials.

Commandant Gen. David Berger has expressed serious concerns over the lack of available Navy ships to position units in nearby waters, which has prevented Marines from helping in major crises. The Navy’s plan to retire older dock landing ships and pause orders of replacement San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships has also caused tension in the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill.

The path forward for the Navy is challenging, as addressing ship and submarine maintenance delays, backlogs, and other sustainment challenges will be difficult given the poor condition of infrastructure at the Navy’s four public shipyards. Although the Navy has begun a 20-year, $21 billion effort to revitalize its shipyards, the report notes that there have already been $1.6 billion in cost overruns and a slipping of deadlines by three years.

The Navy needs sustained management attention over 20 years to implement the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Plan, which will involve funding well above the levels allocated in recent years for shipyard infrastructure.