According to the annual report of the US Navy Inspection and Investigations Committee, the aging surface fleet of the US Navy is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain, and overall, the health of the system is declining in several key areas, such as its primary propulsion system,electrical systemAnd the Aegis combat system. Submitted to Congress at the beginning of this year.

The so-called INSURV inspection found that in the past five years, the surface fleet has experienced a significant decline in the main propulsion system (factories that generate power to push ships into the water) as well as electrical and aviation systems. The Aegis system issensorThe collection of software, mainly used to protect ships from aerial threats, has also shown some signs of decline in the past five years.

The downward trend was made after years of high attention to combat readiness within the Department of Defense, but the Navy has stated that recent changes in the way the Navy conducts notorious aggressive INSURV inspections have made the fleet more prepared. However, the slippery score has indeed raised questions about whether there is enough maintenance time for the navy's heavily demanded surface fighters.

For insurance companies, ships are rated in various systems, and the scores add up to a "good value", with a perfect value equal to 1.0. In over 30 inspections of surface vessels in 2019, the Navy tracked a 20% decrease in scores for major propulsion systems and a further 20% decrease in scores for ship electrical systems between 2014 and 2019.

Aegis is the heart of the combat system on cruisers and destroyers, and its performance index has dropped from 0.88 in 2017 to 0.77 in 2019, which is worrying despite a slight decrease. The aviation system related to the launch and recovery of rotary wing aircraft decreased from 0.77 in 2014 to 0.68 in 2019.

In contrast, the score for the submarine's main propulsion system (subject to strict naval reactor guidelines and inspections) is 0.94, the score for the submarine's electrical system is 0.90, and the score for the submarine's combat system is 0.84.

Overall, the Navy's surface fleet has achieved high scores in navigation systems, medical systems, anti submarine warfare systems, and protection.

change

The navy explained the decline in its score by pointing out the latest changes in the way the unit conducts inspections. In 2019, the head of naval operations ordered INSURVs to be conducted every three years, with the length of one deployment preparation cycle referring to the maintenance of the vessel, training of the crew, and deployment. Inspection also involves changing pre planned events to events without prior notice, and requests for delayed inspections are prohibited.

According to the Navy Surface Forces, the short-term notice of INSURV inspection aims to more accurately understand the readiness of the vessel, rather than allowing sailors enough time to borrow parts from other vessels and perform temporary repairs to improve the overall rating of the inspection.