Navy amphib readiness dips as sailors, Marines deploy for Caribbean
By Carla Babb
Aug 18, 2025, 12:19 PM
The readiness rate of amphibious ships critical to Marine missions has dropped to 41%, a defense official tells Military Times, as thousands of Marines and sailors are being sent to Latin America and the Caribbean amid the Trump administration’s ramped-up effort to combat drug cartels.
The lack of available amphibious warfare ships, known as amphibs, resulted in a more than five-month gap in Marine Expeditionary Unit deployments this year. The 31st MEU completed its last patrol aboard the America Amphibious Ready Group in early March. The 22nd MEU deployed aboard the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group on Thursday.
A U.S. official told Military Times that the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group is currently sailing off the coast of the Carolinas to avoid Hurricane Erin. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment on the deployment, said the ships’ entrance into Caribbean waters had been delayed by the storm. Forecasters predict the storm will remain a large, major hurricane into midweek.
The decline in amphib readiness highlights the Navy’s inability to tackle major fleet maintenance issues plaguing the force at a time when the Trump administration has been eager to increase military options available to the president to carry out his Make America Great Again agenda.
https://www.defensenews.com/news/your-military/2025/08/18/navy-amphib-readiness-dips-as-sailors-marines-deploy-for-caribbean/
