The 2018 National Defense Strategy emphasizes that restoring  and retaining readiness across the entire spectrum of conflict is critical to  success in the emerging security environment. Over the past year, DOD has made department-wide progress in  developing a plan to rebuild the readiness of the military force, with the  military services providing regular input on the status of their readiness  recovery efforts. The Navy Fleet Faces Challenges in Rebuilding Readiness and the Costs Associated with Expanding the Fleet to Enhance Readiness in the Future Are Unknown

Based on updated information we received in November 2018, the Navy  has taken steps to provide dedicated training time so its surface forces  may meet existing Navy training standards and their training is certified  when they deploy. Navy Has Taken Steps to Address Training Shortfalls in the Surface Fleet

After the collisions in 2017, the Navy focused on training surface ship  crews to its existing standards. Since that time, the Navy has worked to ensure surface ships are certified  before they are deployed. The Fleet Faces Persistent Maintenance and Personnel Challenges as the Navy Seeks to Rebuild Readiness

We have reported that the Navy faces persistent challenges in completing  maintenance on time and providing sufficient manning to its ships. For fiscal years 2012-2018, our analysis for key portions of the Navy  fleet shows that 30 percent of Navy maintenance was completed on time,  leading to more than 27,000 days in which ships were delayed and  unavailable for training and operations as shown in figure 2 below. According to DOD officials, workforce shortages  and inexperience contribute to maintenance delays. In November 2018, officials from Fleet Forces Command provided  us with projections of its manning shortfalls continuing through at least  fiscal year 2021 and steps it was planning to take to mitigate them. Navy and Marine Corps Aging Aircraft and F-35s Face Maintenance and Supply Challenges That Affect Readiness Rebuilding Now and in the Future

Our work has shown that Navy and Marine Corps aircraft availability has  been limited by aging aircraft, delayed maintenance, and insufficient  supply support. DOD, the Navy, and the Marine Corps  have emphasized mission capability of critical aviation platforms— including the Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18s and F-35s—and are taking  steps to improve availability, but these efforts will take time to realize  results. However, aircraft availability rates have  generally declined since fiscal year 2011. While specific aircraft  availability data are considered sensitive by the Navy and the Marine  Corps, and cannot be discussed in detail, we found in September 2018  that the Navy and the Marine Corps generally did not meet aircraft  availability goals in fiscal years 2011-2016 for the seven aircraft we  reviewed. Due to current low availability and  numerous sustainment issues, the F-35 fleet will be challenged in  meeting the goal. Attention to these recommendations can assist  the Navy and the Marine Corps as they seek to rebuild the readiness of  their forces. Appendix I: Implementation Status of Prior GAO Recommendations Related to Navy and Marine Corps Readiness

Over the past 4 years, we have issued a number of reports related to  Navy and Marine Corps readiness and we used them to develop this  statement. The Department of Defense (DOD) concurred with most of the 45  recommendations and has many actions underway. However, DOD has  not fully implemented any of the recommendations to date. Weapon System Sustainment: Selected Air Force and Navy Aircraft  Generally Have Not Met Availability Goals, and DOD and Navy Guidance  Need to Be Clarified. Military Personnel: DOD Needs to Reevaluate Fighter Pilot Workforce  Requirements. :  December 1, 2017. Naval Shipyards: Actions Needed to Improve Poor Conditions That Affect  Operation. Department of Defense: Actions Needed to Address Five Key Mission  Challenges.
Why GAO Did This Study

The 2018 National Defense Strategy emphasizes that restoring and retaining readiness is critical to success in the emerging security environment. The Navy and Marine Corps are working to rebuild the readiness of their forces while growing and modernizing their aging fleet of ships and aircraft. However, achieving readiness recovery goals will take years as both services continue to be challenged to rebuild readiness amid continued operational demands.
This statement provides information on current and future readiness challenges facing (1) the Navy ship and submarine fleet and (2) Navy and Marine Corps aviation. GAO also discusses prior recommendations on Navy and Marine Corps readiness and progress to address them.
This statement is based on previously published work since 2015 related to Navy and Marine Corps readiness challenges, including shipyard workforce and capital investment, ship crewing, weapon system sustainment, the fighter pilot workforce, and modernizing force structure. GAO conducted site visits to the Pacific fleet in November 2018 and analyzed updated data, as appropriate.

What GAO Found

The Navy has taken steps to address training shortfalls in the surface fleet, but faces persistent maintenance and personnel challenges as it seeks to rebuild ship and submarine readiness. While the Navy has corrective actions underway, they will take years to implement. Following ship collisions in 2017, the Navy has taken steps to ensure its crews are trained to standards prior to deployment and made significant progress in those efforts. However, the Navy has struggled to complete ship maintenance—with only 30 percent of maintenance completed on time since fiscal year 2012—leading to thousands of days that ships were unavailable for training and operations (see figure). Additionally, manning shortfalls and experience gaps continue to contribute to high sailor workload and are likely to continue through at least fiscal year 2021. The Navy has developed a plan to improve shipyards and is re-examining its ship manning, among other actions; however, these positive steps have not yet fully addressed GAO's recommendations. Looking to the future, the Navy has indicated that it wants to grow its fleet to meet demands. However, the costs of such growth are not yet known and would likely require resourcing well above currently planned levels.
Navy and Marine Corps aircraft availability has been limited due to numerous challenges (see figure). Specifically, the seven aircraft GAO reviewed have generally experienced decreasing availability since fiscal year 2011 and did not meet availability goals in fiscal years 2017 and 2018. The F-35—the future of naval aviation—also has not met availability goals due to part shortages and poor sustainment planning. In September 2018, the Department of Defense established aggressive targets for aircraft availability. While the Navy and Marine Corps are taking actions to improve aircraft availability, including addressing GAO's recommendations, aviation readiness will take many years to recover.

What GAO Recommends

GAO has made a total of 45 recommendations in the prior work described in this statement. The Department of Defense concurred with most of them, and has many actions underway, but has not yet fully implemented any. Attention to these recommendations can assist the Navy and the Marine Corps as they seek to rebuild the readiness of their forces.