The U.S. Navy’s supply corps is applying lessons from the aircraft fleet to improve surface ship readiness over the next two years. A shift from a 50% mission-capable rate to 80% for the F/A-18E-F Super Hornet fleet in 2018 led to plans to boost attack submarine readiness to 80% by late 2027.
Naval Supply Systems Command chief Rear Adm. Kenneth Epps will focus on improving surface ship readiness, starting with surface combatants. Lessons learned from naval aviation are being applied to new warfare domains.
Efforts are underway to establish a triad model for submarines and surface ships, similar to naval aviation, to enhance communication and problem-solving. The goal is to coordinate supply officers, maintainers, and community leadership to improve readiness.
Naval Supply Systems Command will serve as the designated supply chain integrator for surface ships, with the naval Sea Systems Command overseeing ship readiness. The ultimate objective is to have 80% mission capable attack submarines and 75 mission capable surface ships.
Real-time tracking and problem-solving are key strategies to maintain and improve mission capable rates across different types of Navy vessels. The focus is on maintaining readiness and preventing downtime for maintenance.
