The US Navy maintains an ongoing objective to field 75 combat-ready surface ships at any given moment. Despite current reports indicating a fluctuation between 50 and 60 mission-capable ships, the US Navy actively pursues this target as part of broader readiness initiatives.
At the forefront of these efforts, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti has outlined a bold “stretch goal” to achieve 80% surge readiness across the Navy’s ships and aircraft, ensuring a robust capacity for rapid crisis response. She detailed this vision during her October 16 address at a Washington think tank, where she presented the 2024 US Navy Navigation Plan. When questioned about whether this relatively short-term objective was “desirable, achievable, or both,” Franchetti offered a nuanced response that balanced ambition with pragmatism.
The Chief of Naval Operations acknowledged the challenging nature of these objectives while expressing steadfast confidence in the Navy’s capability to enhance force readiness. She emphasized that even if the precise target of 80% readiness by 2027 proves elusive, establishing such an aspirational benchmark would drive greater progress than a more conservative approach. This strategic vision is an important component of the US Navy’s 2024 Navigation Plan for Warfighting, which identifies seven critical areas for fleet preparedness.
Franchetti cited recent successes in enhancing the readiness percentages of F/A-18 Super Hornets to illustrate the feasibility of her approach. This example serves to illustrate how targeted improvements in specific areas can contribute to the broader goal of enhanced fleet readiness, supporting her comprehensive strategy for achieving the ambitious 80% readiness mark by 2027.
“And now, six years later,” she continued, “we’ve been able to maintain 80% F/A-18 readiness due to the processes we implemented.”
According to Franchetti, the Navy was able to effectively maintain 80% F/A-18 readiness until 2024 by conducting “daily, data-driven readiness checks.” These checks enabled the Navy to identify the actual levels of readiness for the aircraft and the obstacles that impeded their attainment of those levels.
Since then, the Navy has reportedly expanded these readiness improvement tactics to include both surface units and submarines, as stated by Franchetti.
“I am determined, and the team is determined to achieve this overarching goal,” Franchetti said about the 80% readiness goal for force buildup by 2027.
The Navy has encountered substantial delays in maintenance and repairs, with less than 40% of ships completing their repairs on schedule. This critical concern has significantly impacted overall readiness levels. Surface ships have experienced a modest increase in on-time repair completion rates from 36% to 41% as a result of recent improvements.
The Navy consistently strives to improve its maintenance schedules and decrease the number of ship repair delay days, despite not consistently reporting specific percentages of overall fleet readiness. In recent years, these delays have decreased from over 7,000 days to less than 3,000 days per year.
The Navy has established naval surface readiness units in critical fleet concentration areas (e.g., Japan, Hawaii, San Diego) to enhance operational and maintenance readiness. These units work closely with local commands to ensure proper maintenance of ships and proper training of crews for immediate deployment.
The Navy is investigating the feasibility of shortened maintenance periods, which have been successful for forward-deployed destroyers in Rota, Spain. The fleet may use these shortened, incremental maintenance availabilities as a model for wider application.
SMOCs have been implemented to mitigate operational hazards and ship-class cost drivers throughout the lifespans of surface ships. These facilities prioritize essential repairs and parts effectively, while also mitigating issues related to material readiness.
Compared to Other Navies
The Chinese Navy (PLAN) has been rapidly updating and adding to its ships. According to reports, China intends to ensure that its military is totally prepared for the possibility of a conflict by 2027. New assessments show that China’s Navy power is becoming more comparable to the US’s, especially when it comes to modernization efforts and the number of ships.
The Russian Navy is updating its equipment, but it has the same problems as the US Navy when it comes to being ready for action and keeping its equipment in good shape. Unlike the US Navy, which has ships all over the world, Russia’s navy stays strong in key areas like the Arctic and the Black Sea.
NATO partners’ navies, like those of the UK and France, also keep their readiness levels high. However, like the US Navy, they put regional duties ahead of global reach. For instance, the Royal Navy has put a lot of emphasis on carrier strike powers and has kept a fleet that is both smaller and stronger.