Kelly, McCormick Introduce Legislation to Modernize America’s Aging Military Sealift Fleet

Bill requires U.S. Department of Defense to accelerate design and construction of new cargo ships critical to U.S. military readiness

Today, Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Dave McCormick (R-PA) introduced the Ready Reserve Force Modernization Accountability Act, legislation that would require the Department of Defense to move quickly on replacing the nation's aging fleet of cargo vessels used to support military operations around the world.

The Ready Reserve Force (RRF) is a fleet of approximately 51 sealift vessels maintained by the federal government that can be rapidly deployed to move troops, military equipment, vehicles, ammunition, fuel, and supplies across oceans during a crisis. The fleet represents nearly half of the government-owned surge sealift capacity, which supports the logistical backbone of any large-scale military operation. Today, the average RRF vessel is more than 45 years old, and the fleet's age and reliability have been a growing concern for national security experts and military planners across multiple administrations and Congresses.

Last year, when Kelly visited Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia and met with workers and apprentices, he toured the MV State of Maine, one of five new National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV) being built at the yard. The Ready Reserve Force Modernization Accountability Act would direct the Navy and MARAD to use a similar model for building the next generation of RRF vessels.

This legislation complements Kelly's SHIPS for America Act, introduced alongside Senator Todd Young (R-IN) and Representatives John Garamendi (D-CA-08) and Trent Kelly (R-MS-01), to revitalize the United States shipbuilding and commercial maritime industries.

"America's military is relying on decades-old ships to move troops, equipment, fuel, and supplies, and they're getting harder to maintain," said Kelly. "This bill replaces these vessels before it becomes a crisis, prioritizing our national security and creating good-paying jobs."

"Anyone who has served knows the importance of logistics and supply to the warfighter. If the United States cannot move its military equipment and supplies across the ocean quickly and reliably, our ability to respond to a crisis, or deter one from happening in the first place, is weakened. The ships that make that possible are decades past their prime. This bill gets us moving on replacing them before it's too late," said McCormick.

Background:

The Ready Reserve Force Modernization Accountability Act directs the Secretary of the Navy, working with the Maritime Administrator, to make finalizing design requirements for new RRF vessels a national security priority. It also requires the U.S. Navy and Maritime Administration to provide a detailed briefing to Congress including:

• Progress on the new roll-on/roll-off vessel design that Congress initiated in the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act;
• A procurement strategy for a 10-ship newbuild construction program at U.S. shipyards;
• A phased funding plan to pay for the new ships over time; and
• A strategy for managing the transition so that no gaps in sealift readiness occur while new vessels are being built.

The legislation also has a direct economic component. American commercial shipbuilding has declined sharply over recent decades. By committing to a 10-ship construction program the bill would provide stable, long-term work for domestic shipbuilders, supporting thousands of skilled jobs in welding, engineering, and manufacturing, and strengthening the broader supply chain that defense shipbuilding depends on.

Click here to read the full text of the bill.