For years Marine Corps leaders have been calling for more amphibious ships to transport Marines and their warfighting equipment around the globe. But a recent government oversight report revealed what bad shape the Navy’s existing amphibious ships are in – and raised major concerns about challenges for the Marine Corps in fulfilling critical national security missions. 

Of the 32 amphibious warfare ships now in inventory, only half are in “satisfactory” shape, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released in December showed. Sixteen ships are classified in “poor material condition,” including five of the nine amphibious assault ships, the largest and most capable of the amphibs. In addition, inspectors found ships that needed much more maintenance than their documentation indicated; missing ship availability reports from the Navy and Marine Corps; and canceled maintenance periods for ships that are marked for retirement, even though they still have upcoming missions and deployments.

All this matters because the Navy’s amphibious ships are what enables “America’s 911 force,” the Marine Expeditionary Units that assemble and deploy anywhere in the world within hours for humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions, as well as conflict response and deterrence. The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which was already deployed on three amphibious ships near the Middle East, contributed the first regular ground troops to enter Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Arriving via helicopters from the flight decks of the ships, the Marines hit the ground in November 2001 with gear and weapons ready.

Even during shorter “intermediate maintenance periods,” which can happen as often as once per quarter if a ship isn’t deployed, there’s a rapid activation timeline: ships are supposed to be able to get underway and into the fight within 96 hours if the Navy needs them.