140910-N-UD469-180 PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 10, 2014) Marines, assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU), depart the well deck of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42) in combat rubber raiding crafts during amphibious operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Amanda R. Gray/Released)
The Navy has a Congressionally set 31-ship big deck Amphibious warfare ship requirement, which is good because 31 are listed on active duty with the fleet.
However, the GAO did some checking as to their actual readiness and found the “go to war in 96 hours” capability to be far less.
In fact, just 15 are in what the Navy would consider to even be in “satisfactory” material condition.
- Nine of the 10 LSDs are now classified by the Navy as in poor material condition.
- Five of the nine remaining LHAs/LHDs are now classified as in poor material condition.
- Two of the 12 LPDs are now classified as in poor material condition.
While the Navy, on paper, maintains they will “have” 30-to-32 big deck ‘phibs in service every year between 2025 and 2042, due to the currently very low shipbuilding rate that only happens if the LHA/LHDs serve for over well over 40 years, the equivalent of having a WWII-era Essex class carrier still on unbroken active service in the mid-1980s. Sure, Lady Lex did that, but she was relegated to low-impact/limited availability training duties for the last 25 years of her career.
Oooof.