WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate's point man on naval force projection and readiness is speaking out, following the recent publication of a Government Accountability Office report which revealed troubling long-term trends when it comes to repairing warships and keeping them in the fight.
The GAO found that the Navy is struggling to maintain many of its vessels.
According to the report, 10 ship classes are experiencing sustainment challenges, with San Antonio Class amphibious transport docks and Arleigh Burke Class guided missile destroyers performing the worst in terms of experiencing the greatest increases in maintenance delays.
The GAO report said that over the past decade, the amount of money needed to maintain Navy ships has risen by more than $2 billion, but the ships' operating hours have significantly decreased.
The report stated: "Over time, this situation has resulted in worsening ship conditions and increased costs to repair and sustain ships."
The report's author is Diana Maurer, a director on the GAO's Defense Capabilities and Management team. Maurer said: "When ships require more time than planned for maintenance, that means less time for training for operational missions."
With the U.S. military focus shifting to the vast Pacific Ocean and with a rising Chinese threat, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) is weighing in about the Navy's ship problems.
Kaine, who is the new chairman of the Senate Seapower Committee, pledged Thursday to take action.
"It is troubling," he said. "As we write the defense bill this year and we look to make investments, you can be sure that this is an area that I'm going to be advocating strongly that we make the investments we need to have the capacity that our Navy deserves."