Adm. Daryl Caudle, who leads U.S. Fleet Forces Command, is building a set of digital tools meant to increase ship readiness by helping leaders better direct resources and allowing individual sailors to tackle more complex repairs. These tools will give decision-makers a real-time view of the material condition of ships, allowing for better prioritization of resources for maintenance. The command is also focused on having 75 mission-capable ships ready for operations on short notice, with a particular focus on the potential “contingency response force” ships.
Caudle also noted that the increasing role of civilians in maintaining and repairing the fleet means that currently, there are relatively few uniformed sailors who are proficient at maintenance, repair, and troubleshooting. To address this, Fleet Forces Command is creating digital packages that include drawings, instructions, and videos that sailors can access from tablets. By learning more maintenance actions, sailors’ skills will improve, ultimately improving the readiness of the ship. Adm. Caudle says this will “fundamentally improve” sailors’ skills, helping them to perform maintenance work they haven’t traditionally done in recent years.
