Half of the Navy’s critical amphibious warships are in ‘poor condition,’ GAO says

Half of the Navy’s fleet of amphibious ships used to transport U.S. Marines for both combat operations and humanitarian relief missions are in poor condition, with some out of operation for years at a time, according to a stinging report just released by auditors at the Government Accountability Office.

The Navy needs a fleet of 31 operational amphibious ships to support the Marine Corps. However, the service is facing challenges with spare parts, unreliable ship systems and canceled maintenance dates for its aging fleet, investigators with the congressional watchdog agency reported.

The Navy had proposed early retirement for some of the amphibious ships to save money and canceled needed maintenance on them.

“But the Navy is still relying on these ships — which haven’t been well-maintained — while it waits for the new ones to be built,” GAO investigators said.

The Navy is likely to face difficulties meeting its statutory requirement to have at least 31 amphibious ships in the fleet. Officials in the Pentagon are considering extending the service life for some of the ships, but those efforts will require up to $1 billion for each vessel amid rising costs and maintenance backlogs, GAO officials said.

Among its recommendations, the GAO said Navy officials should establish performance goals with “tangible, measurable objectives” and time frames that can be used to measure progress. On Tuesday, the watchdog group was awaiting a response from the Navy.