The Briefing Room
General Category => Military/Defense News => Topic started by: rangerrebew on August 14, 2019, 11:34:18 am
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How Much Sealift Does US Have For Crisis? It’s Not Sure
A new study points out that the Navy should do better at tracking how many ships it can call on in a pinch.
By Paul McLeary on August 12, 2019 at 5:05 PM
WASHINGTON: It’s “not clear†the Navy’s sealift fleet would be able to quickly move US forces overseas in a crisis, according to a new study commissioned by the Navy. The concerns raised in the report reflect issues brought up recently in the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill over the health and readiness of the aging 61-ship Merchant Marine fleet, a strategic asset critical in moving troops and heavy equipment across the globe.
Given these concerns, the Navy asked the Rand Corporation to take a hard look at fleet readiness. The report found the split management structure of the sealift fleet that moves troops, tanks, and supplies across the globe has lead to confusion over how ready the ships really are to deploy quickly, casting some doubt over how much the Pentagon really knows about the health of this critical strategic asset.
https://breakingdefense.com/2019/08/how-much-sealift-does-us-have-for-crisis-its-not-sure/?_ga=2.257600461.798379108.1565607915-2105886599.1565435261
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One key to WW2 victory in Europe and the Pacific was logistics support. Liberty and Victory Ships got massive quantities of stuff where it was needed and were built very quickly. They weren't spectacular for the highest performance and quality, but were notable for getting the job done when needed.
By way of contrast, Japan's shipyards were barely able to keep up with repairs, conversions (e.g. from merchant ships to carriers), and warship replacements. They were not able to keep pace with USN submarines' predations, and IJA and IJN soldiers, airmen, and sailors suffered for it.