A 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) landing craft mechanized (LCM) transports a vehicle to the shore at Fort Story, Va., on Aug. 25. Soldiers of the 188th Brigade Support Battalion, 18th Field Artillery Brigade, train in how to load and offload equipment and vehicles with the watercraft.
The Army’s watercraft fleet is in shambles. A scathing report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has dropped the hammer: fewer than 40 percent of these critical vessels are even seaworthy. Back in 2020, the Army’s fleet was chugging along at a respectable 75 percent operational rate, but by 2024, this number has plunged, leaving nearly 60 percent of the fleet rusting away in docks, “out of order” signs slapped on them like condemned buildings.
This crisis hits at the worst possible time, as demand spikes for these assets in the Indo-Pacific, a region where maritime might has become essential. From transporting troops and gear to backing amphibious operations, the Army’s 70 watercraft are supposed to be the backbone of logistical lifelines. But with a fleet that’s literally been cut in half since 2018 and maintenance practices dating back to the Stone Age (yes, they’re still scribbling in handwritten logs), it’s no wonder the GAO is sounding the alarm.
Maintenance, or the utter lack of it, is bleeding this fleet dry. One vessel has been gathering cobwebs for over five years, while others lie dormant, waiting for repairs that may never come. The GAO’s four-part rescue plan demands better governance, a cost-benefit breakdown, and a streamlined fix-it schedule, but right now, it’s all talk and no action.
Despite the fleet’s sorry state, these boats still manage to roll into some of the military’s biggest global exercises—Talisman Sabre, Cobra Gold, Balikatan—and have even been deployed on humanitarian missions in Gaza. Yet, the writing’s on the wall: without a massive overhaul, the Army’s watercraft capabilities are at risk of sinking completely.
The Army has started rethinking its watercraft strategy for 2030 and beyond, establishing the Army Watercraft Enterprise Executive Board to take a closer look. But unless the brass heed the GAO’s recommendations, these vessels won’t be around for much longer. The stakes are high: with maritime logistics increasingly vital, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, this is a wake-up call the Army can’t afford to hit the snooze button on.
