Apr 25, 2019, 09:53am
Aging Sealift Fleet Is Achilles Heel Of Pentagon War Plans
Loren Thompson
The U.S. military is the best equipped, best trained, and best funded fighting force in the world. It is maintained in a high state of readiness for coping with any kind conflict, anywhere around the globe.
But the military faces a big operational challenge that few policymakers or politicians are even aware of: its ability to get to the fight is wasting away.
A once-vast fleet of U.S.-flagged commercial ships has declined precipitously since the Reagan Administration eliminated construction subsidies three decades ago, and meanwhile the sealift vessels owned by the government have aged to a point where their availability in a crisis cannot be assured.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2019/04/25/aging-sealift-fleet-is-achilles-heel-of-pentagon-war-plans/#3c5101e3769a
