The Navy Is Prepared for Inspections, Not War
By Senior Chief Gunner’s Mate Norman Mingo, U.S. Navy
March 2021
The Navy is at risk of losing its tactical edge against its competitors. Prior to deployments, ships historically have undergone a lengthy, administratively rigorous certification process to assess and validate a unit’s material, operational, and personnel readiness. But it has become necessary to challenge how well these assessments prepare units and provide ready forces for existing and emerging threats. It appears the current approach simply meets basic administrative requirements and little else. Essentially, the Navy does well at passing inspections, but it is not being prepared for material and operational success in combat with its adversaries. Instead, the administrative standard has become the warfighting standard—a serious mistake.
Distracted from Our Purpose
Ships conduct a readiness preparation cycle known as the Optimized Fleet Response Plan (OFRP), with various phases prior to deployment. The cycle begins with a maintenance availability and progresses through a basic phase, an advanced phase, deployment, and sustainment. During these phases, units prepare for and complete various assessments, certifications, and inspections in areas such as damage control, material readiness, and combat systems operability. In several of these areas, the ship type commander develops and conducts material and operational assessments designed to test, exercise, and validate a fundamental standard of war fighting competence. Ongoing exercises during deployment help units maintain and sustain their warfighting capabilities. The completion and outcome of these inspections is monitored by designated staffs and certifying authorities ashore, who are required to report the status of the ships’ readiness.
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2021/march/navy-prepared-inspections-not-war
