National Commission proposes Navy readiness and industrial base reforms
Updated
Updated · The Wall Street Journal · Apr 30
National Commission proposes Navy readiness and industrial base reforms
10 articles · Updated · The Wall Street Journal · Apr 30
In an opinion article, commissioners Mackenzie Eaglen and Representative Filemón Vela Jr. said they had visited three combatant commands since early 2026.
They urged faster deployment of robotic and autonomous systems, containerised payloads, quicker ship repairs, and scalable low-cost weapons including counter-drone systems and long-range hypersonic missiles.
The commission said decades of underfunding left ships breaking down, parts being cannibalised and munitions stocks strained, as the US faces growing Chinese and Russian naval competition.
After decades of delays, what guarantees the Navy's new modernization plan will actually succeed?
Can America's Navy be rebuilt in foreign shipyards without creating new strategic vulnerabilities?
Will AI and drone ships fix the Navy's deep-rooted industrial problems, or just mask them?