John Phelan, nominee for U.S. Secretary of the Navy, revealed that President Donald Trump has repeatedly sent him messages in the middle of the night about warships covered in rust or sitting idle in shipyards.
"President Trump has messaged me multiple times past midnight, sometimes after 1 a.m., about rusty warships or vessels stuck in shipyards, asking me what I’m doing to fix the problem," Phelan said during his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing on February 27.
His remarks came after Senator Rick Scott presented a photo of the heavily rusted USS Dewey, a U.S. Navy destroyer, which Phelan admitted was "a terrible sight."
"Please don’t send this to President Trump, or I’ll be getting a message at 1 a.m.," Phelan quipped.
Warships Showing Signs of Deterioration
Phelan emphasized that since he has not yet been confirmed as Navy Secretary, he has no authority to address the issue but assured lawmakers that it would be a top priority if he takes office.
The photo in question was taken on February 18 while the USS Dewey was docked in Singapore, showing severe rust streaks along its port side, particularly near the stern. Another image taken as the ship departed showed less rust on the starboard side.
According to Joseph Trevithick, editor of military news site War Zone, constant exposure to seawater accelerates rust and structural wear, which could compromise a warship’s hull integrity and lead to further maintenance challenges.
The U.S. Navy acknowledged the issue, citing harsh environmental conditions as a contributing factor to accelerated deterioration. Officials said the Navy is working on maintenance solutions and training sailors to mitigate hull corrosion, ensuring combat readiness.
However, Trevithick noted that severe rust damage can lead to costly maintenance delays, potentially reducing overall fleet readiness.
A Lingering Maintenance Crisis
For decades, the U.S. Navy has sought advanced protective coatings to prevent hull corrosion. A paint system introduced in the early 2000s can protect ships for 15-20 years, reducing the need for frequent dry-dock maintenance.
Despite these advancements, the Navy faces major challenges in ship maintenance, particularly for surface warships and submarines.
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released on February 27 found that U.S. Navy shipyards are in poor condition, with outdated infrastructure struggling to keep up with maintenance demands.
"Many of their floating dry docks are incapable of servicing new warships, including Ford-class aircraft carriers and Virginia-class attack submarines," the report stated. "Some are vulnerable to flooding or earthquakes, and inefficient shipyard layouts have caused maintenance delays totaling thousands of days."
The GAO report warned that unless significant improvements are made, Navy shipyards will be unable to meet the service’s maintenance requirements for carriers and submarines by 2040.
(Sources: War Zone, AFP, AP)
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