GAO Warns of Declining Army Watercraft Readiness
Wed, 12/18/2024 - 08:22
The Army’s watercraft fleet has steadily declined, and its ability to achieve readiness is limited, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report.
Between 2020 and 2024, the fully mission capable rate for Army watercraft slid from 75% to 40%, hindering the fleet’s ability to meet mission requirements and operational readiness, availability of vessels and the ability to conduct training for watercraft soldiers, the GAO report found.
The Army has struggled to address a series of longstanding watercraft maintenance issues, the report states, noting that “using handwritten systems to manage maintenance has adversely affected the fleet’s readiness.”
One vessel, for example, had been out of service for five years as of May 2024 due to several factors that contributed to significant delays, including maintenance, the report states.
https://www.ausa.org/news/gao-warns-declining-army-watercraft-readiness
