Half of Navy's amphibious ships in dire condition, scathing GAO report finds
Dec. 23 (UPI) -- The readiness of the Navy's fleet of 32 amphibious warfare ships, which are deemed crucial in quickly projecting U.S. power around the world, is in dire shape, according to a scathing report issued this month.
The Government Accountability Office said the rapid deployment force used by the U.S. Marine Corps to quickly reach and come ashore in global hot spots is so compromised by a backlog of maintenance that fully half of its ships were in poor operating condition as of March.
The GAO's report, issued Dec. 5 under the requirements of the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, pulled no punches in warning that the Marines' ability to carry out such missions is under compromise.
"Amphibious warfare ships are critical for Marine Corps missions, but the Navy has struggled to ensure they are available for operations and training," the report found. "In some cases, ships in the amphibious fleet have not been available for years at a time."
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