A Strategic Assessment of the Future of U.S. Navy Ship Maintenance: Challenges and Opportunities
Abstract
The U.S. Navy's ship inventory and the shipbuilding and repair industrial base that supports these ships have experienced significant changes over the previous three decades. In the next 30 years, significant changes to the fleet composition and the maintenance requirements of the fleet are likely to occur. For example, there will likely be an increased number of littoral combat ships. These have distinctly different maintenance requirements from other platforms in the fleet. However, as the fleet has declined in the past, so has the number of maintenance providers. In 1993, the Navy had eight public shipyards. Today there are four. These naval shipyards are almost exclusively focused on supporting nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines. The work conducted at the public shipyards that once also maintained surface ships has largely transitioned to the private-sector providers. To ensure that the private-sector industrial base is available and able to support the Navy's future maintenance and modernization requirements, the Navy must understand the future maintenance needs and develop a strategic approach to ensure that the necessary capabilities - including facilities, engineers, and trade labor - are available. RAND Corporation researchers assisted the Commander of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) to assess possible supply and demand capabilities in the ship maintenance workload and note long-term challenges facing mitigation efforts. This report also offers a number of recommendations for NAVSEA and Department of Defense leadership to consider to mitigate challenges and plan strategically for the coming years.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1085610
Entities
People
- Abby Schendt
- Alyssa Ramos
- Angelena Bohman
- Bradley Martin
- James G. Kallimani
- Jessie Riposo
- Michael E. Mcmahon
Organizations
- RAND Corporation