The US Navy’s “Get Real, Get Better” initiative was launched two years ago with the promise of revitalizing the fleet, improving readiness, and fostering a culture of honesty and self-assessment.

On paper, it sounds like a solid plan to tackle the Navy’s long-standing issues.

But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find it’s not quite the silver bullet it was supposed to be.

Instead, it feels more like a band-aid slapped over a wound that needs stitches.

The USS Cowpens: A Case Study in Modernization Gone Wrong

Take the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CG-63), for example.

This warship entered a so-called “modernization phase” back in 2015, and nine years later, it still hasn’t sailed.

If that doesn’t raise an eyebrow, I don’t know what will.