Just as buying pre-owned can make sense for a cash-strapped buyer who needs a car, the same thing can go for the Navy as it tries to solve the nation’s sealift readiness problems on a tight budget, the commanding general of U.S. Transportation Command said this week at the Atlantic Council.
“The readiness of the fleet today is not where it needs to be,” Army Gen. Stephen R. Lyons said.
The Military Sealift Command, part of U.S. Transportation Command, can tap into about 125 civilian-crewed ships to replenish U.S. Navy combat ships at sea, among other missions. On average, the ships are about 50 years old, officials said.
“It’s very hard to conduct service life extensions on a ship that is that old,” Gen. Lyons said.
Unlike destroyers and cruisers that have no civilian counterpart, the ships of the Military Sealift Command are roughly similar to civilian-owned cargo ships. Gen. Lyons said augmenting the fleet by purchasing used seagoing vessels could be a solution to their problem.
Congress has authorized the Navy to buy seven used cargo ships on the open market, Gen. Lyons said.
The Navy will likely purchase the first two used civilian ships by the end of this fiscal year or shortly after the beginning of the next one, officials said.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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