What is Wrong with the English Speaking World's Merchant Fleet?
run the numbers per capita, and ponder some more
Here and on Midrats over the years we've discussed the embarrassingly dangerous maladministration of the US merchant fleet, but we're not alone.
We are putting a lot of emphasis on our growing partnership in security with Australia.
Australia faces a “national emergency” unless it re-establishes a sovereign commercial shipping fleet to ensure critical goods flow during times of war and economic sanctions.
The war in Ukraine, alongside Canberra’s geopolitical tensions with Beijing, has highlighted the vulnerability of Australia’s security and economy given its supply chain is almost completely reliant on ships registered to other countries.
The Australian government was forced last week to ask a British ship set to bring in munitions for the defence force to replace Russian crew members.
The number of Australian-owned ships is set to wither to just nine by 2024, according to data from Maritime Industries Australia Limited, an industry association. That comprises six roll-on, roll-off ships used in the Bass Strait and three cement ships but no container ships or oil tankers. In the 1980s, the country boasted about 100 Australia-domiciled ships.
She is an island nation whose wealth relies on the sea. So does the USA.
Why then don't our national leaders act like it?
Is it myopia? Is it a corrupt donor class? Is it ignorance?
What illness besets our nations?
h/t SW.
"What illness besets our nations?"
1- Finance economy instead of production economy. Bets and bets on bets (derivatives) instead of product manufacture, which is overseas and easily cut off.
2- Leader families renounced spiritual courage in preference for venal pursuits.
3- Leader families' foreign and domestic policy presumption is "We're better than you. Do it our way."
4- Insisting on dollarized global economy, reserve currency. Russian courage and Biden sanctions just destroyed that system forever. Most Americans have no idea the hurt coming their way on that account. Every chancery except US's is now rushing to figure out how they want to operate as dollar being not the reserve currency. Everyone knows US leader families and their institutions are not trustworthy interlocutors, are bullies, will steal others' money and sacrifice their lives on a whim, even of their own citizens. Who respects people who do that?
5- CIA-USAID / US Foreign Policy Establishment really have only one play in their playbook: cause chaos. About that they have been successful for many decades and remain so.
A fresh set of leader families is indicated, families spiritually hard-minded and soft-hearted, learned and skilled at bringing into play all three assets of statecraft -- Diplomacy, Finance, War-Fighting -- to help their countrymen and not harm others.
Indivisible security as between nations and multivariance as within nations are the touchstones of geo-politics during this Cyber Era Russians have brought to everyone's attention.
Industrial Era war-fighting (heavy, huge metallic weapons) recedes in importance. Cyber Era war-fighting (light weapons, electronics, hypersonics) advances in importance. A fresh set of leader families is required before the nation (USA) can come up to the intellectual brawn required to conduct this kind of warfare and statecraft. Homeschooling is a source of that development.
Russia is already conducting Cyber Era warfare. China is not far behind in having the ability. The only reason it makes sense for China to build aircraft carriers is for them to operate under the umbrella of Chinese hypersonics making garbage of US carrier and their escorts. Russia is smarter, not building carriers, or at least not relying on them as major warfighting weapons.
US tanks and arty are abattoirs. Russians have generations of tank better than Abrams and not nearly as heavy as Abrams have become with all the bolt-ons. Abrams tanks collapse ordinary bridges now, from their weight, making them all but useless as well as ideal targets for infantry-held rocketry.
US Army has not deployed MANPADs for a decade or more, and the ones available -- and going to Ukies to get blown up or not used for lack of training and intellect -- are generations behind MANPADs available to Russians and Chinese. Russia had Ukie airspace within 24 hours of onset. This is Cyber Era warfare. US is not a preeminent military power, much less the preeminent military power.
If you want a commercial fleet, you need a design advantage and a secure supply and manufacturing (ship yards) base. This means a holistic solution that involves reviving the steel industry, in the US, as well as building shipyards and the supply chain. This could be done through a joint military/industry partnership that uses the same type of ship for commercial and military applications. The military side could house anything from logistics, support, and transport to being missile trucks/LUSVs (or optionally/minimally manned). Design advantage? Use SMRs to provide power! Intrinsically safe and gives you a cost advantage re fuel and operations and you can leap over the current commercial shipping construction competition...if you grab the initiative and lead the way. We have a commercial need and a military need....just get it done.