Thread by @mercoglianos

1/Joint RDY-SPF Hearing: Posture and Readiness of the Mobility Enterprise

Commander of @US_TRANSCOM and Administrator of @DOTMARAD are now testifying.

Hang on!

youtube.com/live/XGB5ejRaL… via @YouTube

@US_TRANSCOM @DOTMARAD @YouTube 2/Van Ovost, "We are a generation late in recapitalizing our readiness #sealift fleet."

Average age of Ro/Ros = 44 years old

17 of the 44 ships are 50 years or older.

3/One link comment to the staffers at @HASCRepublicans @HASCDemocrats.

Ann Phillips is the Administrator of the Maritime Administration and Commandant of the US Maritime Service. Her placard should indicate Administrator Phillips and not her retired naval rank.

4/Administrator Phillips...maintaining old ships is expensive.

March 2022, @DOTMARAD added two vessels to the RRF, the first purchases in thirty years (since post Desert Storm).

They add 316k ft2 of capacity...but we lost five former MPS and two converted LMSRs.

A net loss!

5/MARAD to purchase three ships.

5/This does not match the @USNavy numbers that show up to seven ships should have been purchased this year.

@DOTMARAD is looking at three of the Jolly-class from Messina Lines.

Looking at paying $70M a piece.

6/Liberty Global just bought one and has it reflagged as Liberty Power sailing from US to Europe.

They were built in Korea in the late 2000/early 2010s.

Good used ships, but again, money that is not going into building ships in the US.

7/Touting the new National Security Multi-Mission Vessels. Five ships earmarked for the state maritime academies with the first one due to deliver to @MaritimeCollege this year.

maritime.dot.gov/national-secur…

8/Issues about Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassments (SASH) across the maritime industry.

But still a lot to be done!

gcaptain.com/coast-guard-se…

9/@RepWaltzPress with the first BIG question.

Do we have enough MARINERS for #SEALIFT?

Phillips, "I am not confident all those ships will be manned. I should be extremely straightforward there."

We would need 1800 over 6 months in an UNCONTESTED environment.

10/Phillips notes one of the issues is identifying personnel and their training levels.

You know how you solve this?

Have @SecretaryPete reactivate U.S. Maritime Service and allow mariners to enroll and help track, provide and train them for a future war as we did in 1938.

11/Phillips recruited 75 stake holders to discuss four efforts.

1⃣Recruit
2⃣Train
3⃣Retain
4⃣Reduce barriers.

@RepWaltzPress "I find that [mariner situation] incredibly alarming."

12/By the way @DOTMARAD, I am available to be number 76 in any future discussions on this subject.

13/@RepWaltzPress is worried that ships would not even sail based on exercises.

Let me assure the Congressman...they won't!

A 40% activation rate in Turbo Activation 2019!

gcaptain.com/turbo-activati…

14/How to get more mariners?

Phillips discussed the designation of Maritime Centers of Excellence, but no money was appropriated...WTF?

maritime.dot.gov/education/mari…

15/@RepDonDavis with some key questions on mobility and cyber threat from China; along with how does @US_TRANSCOM keep key logistical nodes operational?

Van Ovost, "Resilience."

Okay!

16/CLARIFICATION

@DOTMARAD Administrator Phillips comment about sealift recapitalization omitted the fact that the two used ships they bought last year from @ARCships - Cape Arundel & Cape Cortes (24 year old) are still not yet operational with the #Sealift fleet.

@DOTMARAD @ARCships 17/@RepTrentKelly with a question about aerial refueling.

Perhaps we should be asking how that DLA fuel gets to those bases as we are woefully deficient in commercial tankers and storage facilities with the closing of Red Hill.

18/The follow up is on the Tanker Security Program.

Phillips stated that they are going to announce the award of the $6 million/ship contract for ten tankers shortly?

Not sure what that means?

They also owe Congress a report...which will also be coming shortly?

19/Plans to go to 20 tankers in the TSP in 2024.

Understand, that ONLY happens if there are ships available and commercial cargo or defense contracts for these ships.

No BUCKS...No BARRELS!

20/HOLY COW!

Van Ovost, "The entire fuel system, we need to look at it from an end-to-end perspective. We have not done that before."

This seems kind of IMPORTANT!

21/The second SAL AWARD for great question goes to @RepTrentKelly.

Regarding #sealift recapitalization, "Is this two vessels per year enough and...do we need to also be building some of those vessels."

22/@US_TRANSCOM stated that at two used ships a year we do not complete recapitalization until 2032.

I DISAGREE WITH THAT MATH. The two bought in 2022 are not in service and they were already 24 years old. Buying used ships just punts the issue down the road.

23/Advocates an accelerated rate of buying used ships, BUT THIS NOT THE MARKET TO BUY USED SHIPS!

splash247.com/car-carrier-or…

24/Van Ovost on new building..."That could absolutely be part of the longer strategy."

But she pivots back to the NEAR TERM.

There needs to be vision for the LONG TERM. Of course, new build helps, just as it did in the 90s with the LMSRs; but needs to include commercial!

25/@RepTrentKelly "We need to get a greater sense of urgency!"

26/@RepJoeCourtney wins the 3rd SAL AWARD with a question highlighting the different contracting model used by @DOTMARAD to build the five NSMV.

Ships, that should be seriously looked at by the @USNavy for use as tenders, hospital ships & auxiliaries.

usni.org/magazines/proc…

27/@RepJoeCourtney "This committee deserves better information in terms of what's out there in terms of the commercial market."

He highlights the fact that buying used ships on the open market is not a steady or dependable state/model for the @DeptofDefense, vice US build.

28/This hearing is hitting so many key questions. Next SAL Award to @RobWittman on logistics in sustaining military forces in forward theaters.

Van Ovost, "This keeps us up."

29/@RepDeluzio question to @DOTMARAD Phillips, "Why is it we have landed in a place where we have to purchase foreign built ships rather than build them."

Just to be clear, if I was in the hearing room, this would be me...

@RepDeluzio @DOTMARAD 30/Phillips, "To answer that question you would have to be a student of History."

She summarized by stating that in time of war (WWI & WWII) we built a fleet, but when the emergency ended, the fleet was sold off and allowed to deteriorate.

We are in a similar situation.

@RepDeluzio @DOTMARAD 31/@RepDeluzio, what does Congress need to do to promote shipbuilding?

Phillips, "Refer to the Authorization in the 2023 NDA to construct ten new vessels."

NOOO!!!

@DOTMARAD Mission is promote the US maritime industry!

32/When a Congressman asks what Congress can do, my answer would be...HERE IS MY LIST OF THINGS.

Or, let my staff send over our plan to Revitalize the US Maritime Industry, but here are the FIVE TOP THINGS you can do!

Building ten #sealift ships only deals with one aspect.

33/@JenKiggans, who unfortunately replaced @ElaineLuria, asked about the @US_TRANSCOM @DOTMARAD @MSCSealift Turbo Activation of 2019 that netted a 40% activation rate.

Van Ovost noted 2022 TA netted a better assessment of the fleet but it sounds like it was not much better.

34/Phillips discussed the issue of capacity in shipyards and repair facilities.

I completely agree on the issue of repair, which we are severely lacking, but just listen to the shipbuilders and they will tell you that there is capacity to build.

They just need contracts!

35/And we head off the rails talking about the painting at the @UsmmaO.

Sorry, this hearing is about Posture and Readiness of the Mobility Enterprise

36/Van Ovost, "We are training our mariners to operate in a contested environment."

Okay, but everyone of our #sealift and naval logistics ships are unarmed. We lack the ships to escort them and they are the vulnerable link.

37/@CarlosGimenezFL asking about how many cruise ships coming in and out of Miami are built in the US?
ZERO!

Why are they built in Europe vice US?

However, China is ramping up to run the Europeans out of business!

38/@CarlosGimenezFL asking about shortage of mariners.

Here is an idea, modify the Passenger Vessel Services Act that would require cruise ships originating voyages from the US have a set percentage of US licensed deck/engine officers on board, i.e. Captain Kate McCue!

@CarlosGimenezFL 39/@RepJillTokuda asking about @US_TRANSCOM being designated single manager for bulk fuel (the sea aspect should be delegated to @MSCSealift) and the situation regarding the closing of Red Hill.

Van Ovost is banking on Tanker Security Program & "resilient" locations.

40/When will the new Bulk Fuel Assessment be prepared?

Early Fall is when the posture statement should be generated with Defense Logistics Agency.

41/Van Ovost discussed how they develop their square footage total versus the National Defense Strategy.

However, no discussion about attrition of ships in a contested environment. In WWII, the US merchant marine suffered nearly a 10% ship lost and in 1 in 26 in mariners.

42/One of the first questions about how the national transportation infrastructure fits into the military deployments.

It would also be good to discuss #supplychain issues.

43/A question about @DOTMARAD Title XI financing by @RepMikeJohnson.

This program is woefully underfunded and inconsistent.

maritime.dot.gov/grants/title-x…

44/@DonaldNorcross asked about building on the success of NSMV @PhillyShipyard.

Phillips talked about follow-on orders for Philly; these are three LNG-fueled containerships for @MatsonLines.

Why are we not building on these programs?

45/@JMoylanforGuam asked about Guam's role in logistics.

Van Ovost talks about prepositioning equipment and fuel.

But what about natural disasters?

@JMoylanforGuam 46/Can Guam become a forward ship repair facility?

Phillips defers to Van Ovost, but she should use the moment to highlight the low number of US repair facilities across the Pacific and in overall numbers.

47/That is a wrap by @RepWaltzPress!

That was one of the most focused committee hearings I have seen on #sealift and @US_TRANSCOM issues.

Congress basically told @DOTMARAD and Transcom, what can we do to help?

@threadreaderapp

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