GAO Report Warns US Navy About Fleet Readiness Issues

The US Navy’s amphibious warfare fleet is in rough shape—literally. Well, at least, that’s according to the latest report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released on Tuesday, December 3.

The recent GAO report paints a grim picture: nearly half of the fleet is in “poor material condition,” plagued by deferred maintenance, outdated systems, and a lack of spare parts.

If these issues aren’t addressed, they could spell big trouble for the Navy, the Marine Corps, and America’s ability to respond to crises worldwide.

Let’s dive into what this report reveals, why it matters, and what needs to happen to turn things around.

The State of the Fleet: A Maintenance Nightmare

The GAO report pulls no punches.

Of the Navy’s 32 amphibious ships, 16 are rated in poor condition, including almost all Whidbey Island– and Harpers Ferry-class landing ships and several Wasp-class big-deck amphibious assault ships.

These vessels are the backbone of the Marine Corps’ operations, providing essential transport and support for amphibious assaults, training, and humanitarian missions.

Why are these ships in such bad shape? Deferred maintenance is a major culprit.

Over the last decade, the Navy has consistently pushed back or outright canceled critical repairs, particularly for ships it planned to retire.

But Congress had other ideas, mandating that the Navy maintain a fleet of at least 31 amphibious ships.

That decision forced older ships to stay in service without the upkeep needed to keep them seaworthy.

As one example, the USS Fort McHenry (LSD-43) was decommissioned six years early because its maintenance backlog was so overwhelming.

The fleet also faces another hurdle: obsolete systems.

Seven of the eight Wasp-class big-decks rely on non-nuclear steam propulsion, a technology so outdated that parts are nearly impossible to find.

Repair expertise is dwindling, too, as fewer technicians are trained in maintaining these aging systems.

The Ripple Effects: Marines Left High and Dry

The consequences of these maintenance failures go beyond the ships themselves.

The Marine Corps relies heavily on amphibious ships to train and deploy on schedule.

The report revealed that from 2010 to 2021, extended maintenance delays led to a staggering 28.5 years of lost operational time.

That’s nearly three decades of missed training and deployments—time the Marine Corps desperately needed to maintain readiness.

Take the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) as a recent example.

Maintenance delays forced its three ships to deploy on separate schedules, undermining the ARG’s effectiveness.

The USS Boxer (LHD-4) itself didn’t deploy until 10 months late, and even then, it suffered a rudder failure just days into its mission, forcing it to return to port for more repairs.

The Marine Corps isn’t just frustrated—it’s alarmed.

Lt. Col. Josh Benson summed it up best: the fleet’s poor condition “limits our ability to respond to crisis around the globe,” cited from USNI News.

Not to mention maintaining a consistent presence in critical regions. Not to mention maintaining a consistent presence in critical regions, such as the Indo-Pacific, Red Sea, and Arctic region, to name a few.

A Financial and Strategic Quandary

Fixing this mess won’t be cheap.

The GAO estimates that extending the service life of aging ships could cost around $1 billion per ship, with some needing to stay operational for another 30 years.

Meanwhile, the Navy is scrambling to procure new amphibious ships, with recent multi-year deals for San Antonio-class and America-class warships offering some hope.

But building new ships takes time—time the Navy doesn’t have if it wants to meet its statutory fleet requirement and stay ahead of global threats.

The stakes are high. If these issues persist, the Navy could fall short of its 31-ship mandate, leaving the Marine Corps without the resources it needs to operate effectively.

That’s a problem not just for the US military but for global stability.

Amphibious ships play a vital role in everything from disaster relief to deterring aggression in hotspots like the Indo-Pacific, as earlier mentioned.

Charting a Course for Recovery

So, what’s the solution? Well, the GAO report offers several recommendations that the Navy would be wise to follow:

1. Reinstate Critical Maintenance: Stop deferring mandatory repairs, even for ships nearing retirement. These vessels can still contribute if properly maintained.
2. Improve Fleet Readiness Metrics: Develop clear benchmarks for ship availability and performance to ensure the fleet can meet operational demands.
3. Address Obsolete Systems: Invest in modernizing outdated technologies like steam propulsion and train a new generation of technicians to maintain them.
4. Plan Smarter Retirements: If the Navy plans to divest a ship, it should follow a formal waiver process to avoid last-minute reversals that derail maintenance schedules.

If you want to read the full report, you can check it out here.

GAO: A Call to Action

The GAO report is a wake-up call. The Navy’s amphibious fleet is a critical national asset, and its current state is unacceptable.

The good news? The Navy and Marine Corps recognize the problem and seem committed to finding solutions.

Adm. Lisa Franchetti pointed to recent procurement deals as a step in the right direction, and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith has called for ambitious readiness goals.

But talk is cheap. The Navy needs to follow through with action—because every delayed repair and canceled maintenance period brings us closer to a breaking point.

The stakes are too high to let that happen. Whether it’s responding to natural disasters or deterring adversaries like China and Russia, the US needs a strong, reliable amphibious fleet. Anything less risks leaving Marines stranded and America’s global leadership in question.

It’s time to stop kicking the can down the road and start steering this fleet back on course.