{"id":14239,"date":"2018-08-14T16:36:06","date_gmt":"2018-08-14T16:36:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/08\/14\/the-us-armed-forces-have-a-mobility-problem\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:25:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:25:36","slug":"the-us-armed-forces-have-a-mobility-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/commentary\/2018\/08\/14\/the-us-armed-forces-have-a-mobility-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"The US armed forces have a mobility problem"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

To win a war, you need to be able to show up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t mean just being present. I\u2019m talking about large-scale military deployments<\/a> \u2014 the sort that would be necessary to respond to North Korean or Iranian aggression, or to fight alongside our NATO allies should one of them invoke Article 5. The threat of an overwhelming American force is the deterrent that keeps many of our foes from pushing the envelope as far as they\u2019d like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s only one problem \u2014 the U.S. armed forces cannot show up as required right now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Merchant Marine fleet\u2019s wartime role is to move weapons, ammunition, troops, equipment, fuel and supplies. Our current fleet \u2014 simply put \u2014 does not have the capacity to meet today\u2019s requirements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We don\u2019t have enough ships, and even if we did we don\u2019t currently have the crews to sail them. We\u2019re short at least 1,800 merchant mariners. Consequently, our primary forces would be weeks late to any major conflict, and in today\u2019s environment, speed is essential. Late arrival could have dire consequences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our enemies understand our deficiencies. They read American newspapers and congressional testimony in Pyongyang, Tehran, Moscow and other world capitals. And as anyone who has watched the news in the last few months can tell you, these potential adversaries are \u201ctesting\u201d us daily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ability to rapidly deploy our forces suffers from two primary deficiencies. The first is a lack of Merchant Marine ships, and the second is a lack of qualified merchant mariners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, the ships. This is a matter of sheer numbers. In 1951, the U.S. Merchant Marine had 1,288 ships operating in international trade. Today, there are 81 ships. This means the U.S. Merchant Marine does not have the shipping capacity our country needs to deploy and supply the most capable military in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\t