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15 May 25. Readiness, Shipbuilding Top Priorities for Navy. On Capitol Hill yesterday, Navy Secretary John Phelan told lawmakers that increasing shipbuilding to better outfit the Navy, developing an accountable and innovative warfighter culture and improving the welfare of the fighting force were his top priorities.
Phelan, alongside Acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James W. Kilby, and Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric M. Smith, briefed the House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee on current challenges and their plans to address them.
“My North Star, or No. 1 priority as secretary, is the readiness of our sailors and Marines,” Phelan said, adding that the priorities he outlined will guide his decision-making as he leads the department.
After Phelan was sworn in as the Navy secretary in late March, he visited troops and facilities in the Indo-Pacific region, the southern border, the USS Gravely, several military installations, as well as public and private shipyards.
“Rebuilding our hollowed-out maritime industrial base is a national security imperative, as outlined in the Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance executive order signed by President [Donald J.] Trump,” he said. “Over the past month, I visited … eight shipyards across the nation’s East Coast and the Indo-Pacific. I spoke directly with shipyard leaders and the hard-working tradesmen essential to our maritime operations. I now have a clear picture of where our shipbuilding dollars have been going, and [I] am developing a plan to fix what’s broken.”
Phelan told lawmakers that submarine building challenges include the complexity of the ship, workforce experience, supply chain issues and, in some cases, a lack of modernization at shipbuilding facilities. During his meetings with shipyard workers and industry leaders, he discussed the state of shipbuilding and identified ways to improve workflow.
“It was very interesting in some of [the leaders’] assessments of what they did not perceive to be as problems,” Phelan said, adding that when he met with the workers, he received the opposite response.
His visit to a shipyard in Japan showcased the difference in shipbuilding processes. There, he found workers get the same productivity in one shift that American shipyards might get in three shifts.
“I believe that’s for two reasons,” Phelan said. “One, their average worker is 50 years old; it is a career … they’ve been in that shipyard a very long time. Two, when I spoke to the welders in Japan, they … spend zero time on paperwork. Our welders spend between 30% and 40% of their time filling out paperwork … that is a problem.”
Phelan said he saw positive things at U.S. yards that might be implemented across the rest of the U.S. shipbuilding industry to speed up things like U.S. submarine production.
“I do think we can get the calendar shifted left, but it’s going to take a lot of hard work and a lot of effort,” he said.
Kilby told lawmakers the Navy faces three challenges, and it is working to solve them with congressional assistance.
First, he said, is a shortage of approximately 23,000 sailors manning ships.
“Thanks to process improvements and targeted investments, we are on plan to reduce that number significantly by the close of fiscal year 2026,” Kilby said. “We’re committed to attracting and developing Americans who can innovate, solve hard problems and dominate in combat.”
The Navy missed recruiting goals in fiscal year 2023 but raised its goals in fiscal year 2024 and then exceeded its target when it recruited more than 40,000 new sailors.
“[That’s] the most since 2003, and we are currently on pace to exceed our recruiting goal for fiscal year 2025,” he said.
Kilby said a second issue involves strain on the munitions industrial base. Ordinance expenditures in the Red Sea against the Houthis have highlighted challenges with manufacturing replacement munitions.
“The Navy is working with both our traditional [prime contractors] and new entrants to close this gap, developing kinetic and non-kinetic weapons at speed and at scale,” he said.
In submitted testimony, Kilby said the Navy is investing in expanding capacity and adding new suppliers across its weapons portfolio, including rocket motors, warheads and engines.
Finally, Kilby said, platform readiness is a priority for the Navy.
“Our platforms are not as ready as they need to be,” he said. “We set an ambitious goal to make 80% of our ships, submarines and aircraft combat surge ready by Jan. 1, 2027. To do that, we are reducing maintenance delays. We are improving manning, training, modernization and sustainment. In all of these efforts, consistent and predictable funding is foundational. We appreciate the continued support of this committee.”
Smith said as the commandant of the Marine Corps, his top priority is achieving a 3.0 amphibious ready group/marine expeditionary unit presence. He added that this would mean the Marines have one amphibious ready group constantly deployed off the East Coast, one deployed off the West Coast and one sporadically deployed out of the naval force in Japan.
“The amphibious ready group with marine expeditionary unit embarked is the most versatile tool in our nation’s arsenal,” he said. “It is the Swiss Army knife of the joint force, and we’re working closely with our Navy partners to maximize this capability.”
Smith said accelerating force design is another priority for the Marines, adding that the Marines are in the implementation phase — integrating new technology, refining organizational structure and strengthening the joint force.
“Force design is our righteous journey to adapt to the changing character of war. The nature of war remains the same, but the character changes,” Smith said.
Regarding quality of life, Smith said Marines want the basics. He told lawmakers, “Every Marine deserves a clean, safe place to lay their head at night. They don’t ask for much, but they do ask for that.”
Smith called the Barracks 2030 program the most consequential infrastructure investment in Marine Corps history. He noted that it will provide every Marine with safe, modern living conditions.
“And quality of life goes beyond our barracks,” he added. “We’re also investing in the well-being of Marine families, because retaining our Marines means supporting those who stand by them.” (Source: U.S. DoD)
14 May 25. Indo-Pacom Commander Highlights Army’s Regional Contribution. Yesterday, during the 2025 Land Forces Pacific Symposium and Exposition in Honolulu, the U.S. military’s senior leader in the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility discussed ways the Army contributes to the joint force’s overall mission throughout the region.
Navy Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said “fires” or weapons systems that strike targets are the capability he needs the most.
“The ability to deliver fast, accurate and lethal fires across domains is fundamental,” he said.
Paparo referenced China’s potential invasion of Taiwan as an example, noting that U.S. maritime and air superiority aren’t necessarily needed to prevent an invasion. Rather, the joint force needs the capability to deny China’s use of the Taiwan Strait.
“And the Army’s fires capability, integrated with the … joint force, is essential to deny that zone by imposing devastating costs ,” he added.
Paparo also said that, over the past nine years, the Army has risen to meet a challenge issued by a previous Indo-Pacom commander to forge a capability to “Sink ships, neutralize satellites, shoot down missiles and deny the enemy’s command and control.”
“The Army responded decisively with the creation of multidomain task forces,” Paparo said.
He added that there are currently MDTFs in the field bringing land-based capability to oppose the enemy’s command, control, communications, computers and information systems’ surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting capabilities.
“This fundamentally alters the strategic calculus in the contested environment,” Paparo said, adding that the MDTF capability allows the joint force to place fires and effects “precisely at the time and the place of our choosing.”
Paparo also praised the Army’s short-range, ballistic Precision Strike Missile capability, calling it “a game-changer that fundamentally alters China’s risk calculus; this is a matter of record.” He noted that the missile system is capable of potentially neutralizing numerous enemy targets before any kinetic conflict begins.
“These capabilities — along with space, cyber and electronic warfare — operate from key terrain in the first island chain and near strategic maritime choke points, creating … persistent and lethal effects,” Paparo said, adding that he considers the Army’s fires capability to be the most valuable and lethal asset in the region.
Paparo also spoke about the command’s air and missile defense components. He said the missile threat posed by China and North Korea is growing in “both quality and sophistication,” and that the command’s AMD needs to be resilient, adaptive and responsive to evolving challenges.
He also said interoperability with allies is key.
“By connecting these defense systems, sharing intelligence and coordinating responses, we create a common operating picture and then, accordingly, a combined defense shield,” Paparo said.
He also discussed the Army’s role in sustainment throughout the region, stating that effective sustainability is “existential.”
Paparo said integrating artificial intelligence into the process is “revolutionizing sustainment” because it allows his command to anticipate requirements in all classes of supply — fuel, ammunition and missiles.
The admiral said the Army provides the “backbone” of the joint force’s ability to sustain combat power throughout the region, and its role in theater-wide sustainment cannot be overstated.
He said the challenges in the Indo-Pacific region are “formidable but not insurmountable.”
“The Army’s contributions to joint conflicts are transformative and inspiring, but we all must do more,” Paparo said. “And we need to do it now.” (Source: U.S. DoD)
14 May 25. U.S. Strengthens Alliances, Collectively Boosts Regional Security Capabilities in East Africa. The Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, alongside Djiboutian, French, Japanese and European Union naval forces, came together for the semiannual Bull Shark exercise in Djibouti, May 5-6, 2025, to strengthen communication and collaboration among international partners and allies. Bull Shark 25-2 was designed to test the interoperability of the host nation and its international partners by simulating various personnel recovery scenarios involving sea, air and land units, enhancing the task force’s effectiveness in the region. This iteration’s participants included multiple branches of the U.S. military, the armed forces of Djibouti, the Djiboutian coast guard, French forces in Djibouti, the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the Spanish navy. The Spanish air force Orion Detachment and members of an Italian military base in Djibouti observed the exercise.
“Bull Shark wasn’t just about procedures and protocols; it was about the people,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Andrew Ballenger, task force deputy commanding officer, during the closing ceremony at Camp Doraleh, Djibouti. “It was about building trust, understanding each other’s capabilities and forging stronger bonds of partnership.”
The exercise required complex multinational logistical coordination to accomplish mission objectives while maneuvering safely. Ballenger said training together as a joint force is vital for understanding how each element operates.
Djiboutian coast guard commander Col. Wais Omar Bogoreh expressed his gratitude to the U.S. and partner nations for participating in the exercise.
“We are doing well together,” he said, adding that he looks forward to future exercises and improvement as the task force and its partners work toward maintaining maritime security.
At the onset of the exercise, the forces conducted a notional maritime rescue, during which the Djiboutian coast guard extracted personnel from the water while maintaining communications with the multinational command and control node and exercise partners.
The EU naval forces performed hoist operations from a Spanish SH-60R Sea Hawk.
“This exercise presented us with realistic challenges, from simulated search and rescue operations to testing interoperability of communication systems,” Ballenger said.
During the land segment, task force security forces teamed with exercise participants to address a simulated land rescue on a private beach and a notional aircraft crash at a second land site. It also involved evaluating casualties, which further tested communication methods and interoperability.
“Anything that we’re do in this part of the world or really anywhere, we’re be working with other partner nations,” said U.S. Army Col. Jason Inskeep, task force training and exercises director. “So, you to learn how to work with them, how to communicate with them, what the abilities of their service members are, what their equipment is, and, ultimately, bring that all together so we can accomplish the mission.”
The exercise also included simulated personnel injuries, necessitating the deployment of U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Ospreys from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161 and pararescuemen from the 82nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron.
The Osprey’s ability for vertical takeoff and landing, as well as short takeoff and landing, merges the capabilities of a traditional helicopter with the extended range and high-speed cruising performance of a turboprop aircraft, helping enable the extraction of personnel.
Ballenger said exercises like Bull Shark allow the U.S. and partner nations “to work toward common goals for regional security and stability.” He noted that the enhanced capabilities gained through the exercises are pivotal to a unified response to evolving threats within the region. Impressed with the “seamless integration” of the partner nations, Ballenger said the participants’ technical expertise and innovative problem-solving ability were demonstrated well.
“These moments were the result of dedicated professionals working together, adapting to circumstances and prioritizing a common goal,” he added.
Exercise planners said every iteration of Bull Shark is designed to increase complexity and broaden opportunities for partner and allied nations to learn how to navigate communication obstacles in anticipation of real-world events. Maintaining infrastructure, scalable response capability and readiness ensures the task force can effectively respond to crises.
“In the event of an emergency, you never know who you’re going to need to help or who may be helping you,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Richard Dahlby, task force future operations planner. “So, it’s important to understand how you go about completing these tasks.”
Ballenger said CJTF HOA conducts operations to enhance partner nation capacity, promote regional stability, dissuade conflict, and protect U.S. and coalition interests, primarily in the East Africa region.
“This is not simply the end of an exercise; it is a steppingstone,” he said. “It’s a foundation upon which we will continue to build a stronger, more resilient and more effective partnership.” (Source: U.S. DoD)
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