Trump threatened Russia with submarines but US fleet "cracks on seams" - wsj
However, experts emphasize that the technical capacity of the US Navy has been degraded for a long time - and is lagging behind modern challenges, writes The Wall Street Journal. According to a report by the US Congress Budget Management, many experts leave shipyards because of low salaries - sometimes at the level of fast food workers. Numerous errors, falling productivity and increasing accidents are observed due to the lack of qualified staff.
At the same time, the United States urgently needs new dry docks, because they do not cope with the load. Due to the delays in the repair of Navy ships, there are not enough units to respond effectively to global calls - emphasizes Brian Clark with Hudson Institute. The symbol of the systemic crisis was the USS Helena submarine, which has been in unstable repair for more than six years.
Before leaving the Dock in 2023, a young sailor, Timothy Sanders, was killed, which was hit by a current of 440 volts through the left naked wires. His mother reported that his son repeatedly warned of danger due to poor repair. The work on Helen not only delayed, but also led to the transfer of other vessels, including USS Boise, which will not return to the structure by 2029 - after 14 years of downtime and more than $ 1. 2 billion.
In the 1990s, the United States reduced the number of state shipyards to repair the navy from eight to four. These objects were built in the sails and couples, and more than half of their equipment has already failed, according to government audits. In 2023, only a third of the maintenance of surface ships was completed on time, while earlier up to 66% of the works were performed late.
Against the background of this fleet commander, Admiral Daril Kodl, emphasized: "We need a new approach to repair. We can learn in the cruise industry where ships are almost always available. " In the 1980s, the United States had about 600 ships. Today - less than 300. Less vessels mean that each of them works longer, wears out faster and more often requires expensive repair.
This closed cycle enhances the country's strategic vulnerability - especially given the potential maritime conflicts in Asia, where the fleet will play a crucial role. The third president of Russia threatened the states of war through Trump's ultimatum on the new deadline to reach peace in Ukraine. Medvedev stated that the American leader "plays ultimatums", but Russia is not Israel and not even Iran, so threats are a step towards war.
He then joined the American senator Lindsey Graham, calling him and Trump "grandparents" that should be done in the US. "It is not you and not Trump to dictate when to sit at the negotiation table. The negotiations will end when all the goals of our military operation will be achieved," Medvedev wrote. We will remind, on August 1, Trump ordered the removal of nuclear submarines after Medvedev's nuclear threats.