The U.S. Navy is reportedly putting 17 vessels into "extended maintenance" due to a shortage of experienced Merchant Marines, posing a potential threat to national security. The move comes as Israel braces for a possible Iranian assault.
The U.S. Navy is facing a manpower crisis that has forced it to sideline 17 ships, according to reports. The shortage of Merchant Marines, who operate support vessels crucial to the Navy's operations, has made it difficult to properly crew and operate ships across the fleet.
Navy Sidelines 17 Ships Due to Manpower Shortage Amidst Iranian Assault Fears
Rear Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation for the Foundation for Defense of Democracy, told Fox News Digital that there simply aren't enough Merchant Marines to keep all the Navy's ships running.
"The problem, of course, is the ships are at sea, away from home port 12 months of the year," Montgomery said. "So you need two crews ... we're desperately short of the number of people."
Navy Sidelines 17 Ships Due to Manpower Shortage Amidst Iranian Assault Fears
The lack of experienced Merchant Marines has become a clear danger to national security, Montgomery added.
In response, the Military Sealift Command has drafted a plan to put 17 ships into "extended maintenance," which would include a redistribution of crews to other vessels across the Navy, according to the U.S. Naval Institute.
Navy Sidelines 17 Ships Due to Manpower Shortage Amidst Iranian Assault Fears
The ships include two replenishment ships, one fleet oiler, a dozen Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transports and two forward-deployed Navy expeditionary sea bases – the USS Lewis Puller, based in Bahrain and the USS Herschel "Woody" Williams, based in Souda Bay, Greece.
The effort, known as the "great reset," is awaiting approval from Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti. The change will reduce Navy demands for officers by 700 mariners.
Navy Sidelines 17 Ships Due to Manpower Shortage Amidst Iranian Assault Fears
The U.S. military has experienced recruiting problems in recent years, particularly in the Army, which had to cut its force by 24,000 in 2024 to account for recruiting shortfalls. Montgomery emphasized that the current issue primarily affects Merchant Marines.
"The sailors tend to man our warships ... the merchant mariners man something that's equally important, which is the logistics backbone of the Navy – oilers, ammo ships, transports ships that move the Army and Marine Corps across the water," Montgomery explained.
He highlighted the crucial role of ships in maritime trade and logistics, moving vast quantities of goods and supplies that cannot be easily transported by aircraft.
Support groups, consisting of one or two ships, will accompany carrier groups, providing essential services depending on the region of operation. Montgomery cited an instance five years ago when the Navy attempted to deploy 60 ships but could only send 25 due to insufficient manpower.
The Navy's aging fleet is also a concern, with the average age of ships in the reserve force being around 45 years old. "Between 20 and 30 years is fine, because you don't have the same issues of modernization of weapon systems and big changes in electrical power distribution ... but 17 of the ships are over 50 years old," Montgomery said.
The Navy has a 30-year shipbuilding plan that includes the decommissioning of 48 ships over a four-year period starting in 2022. In the first year, 10 ships were retired, followed by 11 more in 2023.
The Navy's manpower shortage and aging fleet come at a time when Israel is facing potential threats from Iran. The Navy's movement of a carrier strike group into the Middle East is intended to deter any Iranian aggression.
