GAO: US needs nat’l maritime strategy

The federal Department of Transportation (DOT) should complete its congressionally-mandated national maritime strategy to sustain the U.S.-flagged commercial cargo ships’ competitiveness and long-term viability, upon which the Defense Department (DoD) relies on to ship its cargo, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO). The report is entitled ‘Maritime Security, DOT Needs to Expeditiously Finalize the Required National Maritime Strategy for Sustaining U.S.-Flag Fleet’. DOT has drafted, but not issued, those strategies, according to the report. The GAO recommended DOT complete the national maritime strategy and establish timeframes for its issuance. DOT concurred. The government supports U.S.-flag vessels through a stipend from the Maritime Security Program. “These supports (stipends) have helped ensure that a sufficient number of U.S.-flag vessels are available to meet (DoD’s) cargo capacity needs,” the report indicated. DOT developed a draft strategy under the previous administration, but the current White House is reviewing that strategy. DOT has not established a timeline for finalizing the strategy even though it was to be completed by 2015. “Without establishing a timeline to complete this required strategy, DOT continues to delay providing decision-makers the information they need to determine how best to address the challenges facing the US-flag fleet,” the GAO said. A Maritime Administration working group recently estimated a shortage of more than 1,800 cargo-mariners in the case of a drawn-out military effort. (Source: Jane’s Defence Weekly 08/12/18)