Episode 712: Condition of the Navy's Amphibious Fleet And Its Impacts on Marines: the View from GAO

Does the US Navy have the right number and mix of amphibious ships, and are those ships being properly maintained?

The Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) recent report to Congress explored this topic in depth, and today’s Midrats Podcast will delve into it further.

From the summary of the report:
Amphibious warfare ships are critical for Marine Corps missions, but the Navy has struggled to ensure they are available for operations and training. In some cases, ships in the amphibious fleet have not been available for years at a time. The Navy and Marine Corps are working to agree on a ship availability goal but have yet to complete a metrics-based analysis to support such a goal. Until the Navy completes this analysis, it risks jeopardizing its ability to align amphibious ship schedules with the Marine Corps units that deploy on them.

As of March 2024, half of the amphibious fleet is in poor condition and these ships are not on track to meet their expected service lives.

Our guests for the full hour to discuss the report and its implications will be two joint directors for the project, Shelby S. Oakley, Director, Contracting and National Security Acquisitions, and Diana Maurer Director, Defense Capabilities and Management at GAO.

Showlinks

• GAO Report: AMPHIBIOUS WARFARE FLEET Navy Needs to Complete Key Efforts to Better Ensure Ships Are Available for Marines
• GAO Report: Navy Readiness: Actions Needed to Improve Support for Sailor-Led Maintenance

Summary

The conversation delves into the critical state of the U.S. Navy's amphibious fleet, focusing on the challenges of ship maintenance, the role of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in assessing fleet readiness, and the ongoing controversy between the Navy and Marine Corps regarding ship availability. The discussion highlights the importance of metrics, accountability, and transparency in addressing these issues, as well as the need for a cultural shift within the Navy to prioritize maintenance and resource allocation effectively.

Takeaways

• Metrics and definitions of ship readiness need to be standardized.
• Cultural and bureaucratic challenges hinder effective maintenance practices.
• Accountability is essential for improving the Navy's operational readiness.
• Budgeting for maintenance is often deprioritized in favor of new acquisitions.
• Sailors are overworked and under-resourced, impacting their performance.
• The Navy must address root causes of maintenance issues to improve fleet readiness.
• Future leadership changes present an opportunity for reform in the Navy.

Chapters

00:00: Introduction and Context of the Discussion
02:03: Understanding the GAO's Role in National Security
09:35: Insights from the Fleet: Realities of Ship Maintenance
14:49: Defining Ship Availability and Readiness
18:15: The Need for Metrics and Accountability
22:22: Challenges in Navy Bureaucracy and Culture
30:04: Navigating Accountability in Navy Maintenance
33:02: The Consequences of Deferred Maintenance
36:53: Policy Challenges in Navy Maintenance
43:09: Budgeting for Maintenance vs. New Acquisitions
45:53: Cultural Attitudes Towards Manpower and Maintenance
49:15: Realistic Expectations in Maintenance Planning
54:34: Future Directions for Navy Reports and Accountability

Full Guest Bios

Ms. Oakley is a Director in the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) Contracting and National Security Acquisitions team. In her role, she oversees GAO’s portfolio of work examining the most complex and expensive acquisitions within the federal government. Her portfolio includes Navy and Coast Guard Shipbuilding programs, DOD acquisition policy and oversight, and leading practices in product development. In addition, she is responsible for GAO’s annual work to assess the cost, schedule, and performance of DOD’s entire portfolio of major defense and middle-tier acquisition programs. Ms. Oakley previously served as a Director in GAO’s Natural Resources and Environment team where she led teams reviewing a range of nuclear security, policy, and nonproliferation related issues. From 2004 to 2015, Ms. Oakley led teams reviewing the activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with a focus on helping NASA improve its acquisition management practices. Her reviews covered key aspects of NASA’s operations, such as Space Shuttle workforce transition and sustainment of the International Space Station, as well as reviews of all major NASA systems including in-depth reviews of NASA’s human spaceflight programs and the James Webb Space Telescope. Ms. Oakley earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Washington and Jefferson College.

Ms. Maurer is a Director in the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) Defense Capabilities and Management team, where she currently leads GAO’s independent oversight of sustainment and readiness across the military services and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Her recent work includes reviews of F-35 sustainment, Air Force and Army force generation, Navy ship maintenance, missile defense sustainment, Space Force readiness, and the mission capability of military aviation and surface ships. She has testified three dozen times before Congressional committees on a variety of issues including the F-35, military readiness, Navy ship maintenance, national drug control policy, and several DHS and DOJ management issues.Ms. Maurer was a Director in GAO’s Homeland Security and Justice team from 2009-2017, where she led GAO’s oversight of the federal prison system; the Secret Service, FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies; and DHS’s efforts to build a unified department. She worked from 2008-2009 as an Acting Director in GAO’s Natural Resource and Environment team. From 1993-2007, Ms. Maurer worked in GAO’s International team, where she led reviews of a variety of international security issues including efforts to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Ms. Maurer began her GAO career in 1990 in GAO’s Detroit Regional Office.

Ms. Maurer has an M.S. in national resource strategy from the National Defense University where she was recognized as a Distinguished Graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. Ms. Maurer also has an M.P.P in international public policy from the University of Michigan and a B.A. in international relations from Michigan State University.