Navy, Marines Will Need Recapitalized Sealift, Logistics Capabilities to Succeed in Pacific...

The Navy and Marine Corps need to grow their capacity to move people and supplies to and around a contested sea space – using both manned and unmanned ships and aircraft – and the service leaders asked lawmakers today for help in creating a supply chain that can stand up to a peer competitor.

Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David Berger told the Senate Armed Services readiness subcommittee that the Navy-Marine team would be challenged if they ever got into a fight with China because moving throughout the Pacific involves great distances and because China would likely seek to disrupt the logistics chain, something the U.S. hasn’t had to deal with in 70 years.

Subcommittee member Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) said during the hearing she was pleased that Berger was so focused on sealift and logistics issues and asked how Congress could assist in those efforts as the amphibious force transforms into one that will rely on small units moving around by sea to conduct distributed operations.