WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dave McCormick and Mark Kelly introduced legislation this past week aimed at accelerating replacement of the U.S. military’s aging cargo ship fleet, as lawmakers and defense planners warn that deteriorating sealift capacity is becoming a strategic vulnerability for American force projection and logistics.
The proposed Ready Reserve Force Modernization Accountability Act would require the U.S. Navy and Maritime Administration to speed development of replacement vessels for the government’s Ready Reserve Force, a fleet responsible for nearly half of the nation’s surge sealift capability during military conflicts and emergencies.
The fleet, which transports troops, vehicles, fuel, ammunition, and military equipment during crises, currently consists of roughly 51 vessels with an average age exceeding 45 years.
The legislation reflects growing bipartisan concern that aging ships and mounting maintenance demands are eroding the military’s ability to rapidly sustain overseas operations, particularly as the Pentagon shifts focus toward potential large-scale conflicts in the Indo-Pacific.
“If the United States cannot move its military equipment and supplies across the ocean quickly and reliably, our ability to respond to a crisis, or deter one from happening in the first place, is weakened,” McCormick said.
Kelly said the existing fleet is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.
“America’s military is relying on decades-old ships to move troops, equipment, fuel, and supplies, and they’re getting harder to maintain,” Kelly said.
The bill would direct the Secretary of the Navy and the Maritime Administrator to prioritize finalizing requirements for a new class of roll-on/roll-off cargo vessels first authorized under the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.
It would also require federal agencies to brief Congress on a procurement strategy for a 10-ship construction program, long-term funding plans, and transition measures intended to avoid operational gaps while replacement ships are built.
The proposal carries significant implications for the domestic shipbuilding industry, which has contracted sharply over recent decades amid foreign competition and reduced commercial vessel production.
A long-term construction program could provide sustained work for U.S. shipyards and suppliers involved in defense manufacturing, including facilities tied to naval construction and maritime engineering.
Hanwha Defense USA, which operates the Philly Shipyard through its parent company’s acquisition of the facility, publicly backed the legislation.
“Hanwha stands ready to utilize its workforce and technology at the Philly Shipyard to support the construction of new auxiliary ships in the United States,” Hanwha Defense USA Chief Executive Officer Michael Coulter said.
The legislation has been referred for congressional consideration.
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