U.S. lawmakers have expressed concern about the U.S. Navy’s plan to relocate fuel from Hawaii to storage sites across the Indo-Pacific, warning that the military might be ill-prepared for potential conflict as a result.
The Pentagon’s decision to drain the Red Hill storage facility due to a leak has prompted questions about the Navy’s logistical capabilities and long-term solutions.
Lawmakers have raised issues regarding the Navy’s fleet capacity for fuel transportation, access to refinery capacity, and plans for building replacement facilities.
“It is unclear how exactly the Navy will replace and distribute the aggregate bulk fuel capacity of Red Hill,” Rep. Mike Gallagher stated.
“We see increasing threats from China, in particular in the Indo-Pacific. We feel like we're not moving fast enough to build a bigger Navy,” says U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher. Under the U.S. Navy’s current plan, the fleet will shrink to 280 ships by 2027 https://t.co/7T3zJASvDR pic.twitter.com/F2dMbj66Bd
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) March 20, 2023
“The Navy appears to be short – by several dozen – ships that will be needed to transport and deliver fuel to our bases and forces operating across the Indo-Pacific,” he added. “We must address potential weaknesses in our logistical supply lines, while we still have the time to do so.”
This comes amid ongoing warnings about the U.S.’s readiness to counter China’s growing military presence in the Indo-Pacific.
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