https://lnkd.in/ecAgec2z
Not a news flash here, but it is pretty disturbing that a political outlet reports this as one of its headlines. Hopefully the new team of SEVNAV, CNO, and VCNO (all Surface Warefare Officers (SWOs) BTW) will finally face this issue head on and make some hard and long overdue decisons. Unfortuantely Amphibous Ships or "Gators" in Navy speak have been looked down upon for years as unglamorous and rank at the bottom of the pecking order in the the allocation of dollars and human capital against their more "sexier" Cruiser/Destroyer brethern.
However, amphibious assault ships are a unique tool for American commanders that allows them to launch airstrikes, provide humanitarian support and Marines to use large ship-to-shore landing craft to evacuate civilians from hostile areas. While not considered aircraft carriers, the amphibious flattops are considered workhorses for U.S. military commanders around the globe, who frequently request their presence to showcase American presence and power.
"Delays are emblematic of a wider issue with repair and maintenance in the Navy that has seen warships languish pierside for months after they had been scheduled to leave.
This comes down to poor maintenance management overall,” said Bryan Clark, a retired submarine commander now at the Hudson Institute.
“This is also the problem you have when the fleet gets older, you have no surge capacity, and with the ship repair capacity that is not aligned with Navy plans, which keep changing,” he added. “You’ve got a real shortfall in the number of amphibs you can deploy.”
The DOD official said there are few options for commanders to speed up the movement of amphibious ships out of port as conditions worsen in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific allies look for the U.S. Navy to provide presence in the face of an increasingly aggressive China.
Asked what can be mobilized to meet a crisis quickly, the official conceded, “the answer is no one.” Ugh ....
US Navy Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Naval Special Warfare Command - Navy SEAL & SWCC Teams #marinecorps #navy #USNI
Attorney-at-Law, MBA( PIM-SJP), LL.B(OUSL), BBA(UOP), PQHRM(CIPM), Notary Public, Company Secretary and Commissioner for Oaths
8moA good research topic, I would say !