Op-Ed: Technology alone won’t solve the Navy’s ship maintenance backlog

Jennifer Merck

Congress is rightly focused on the Navy’s $17 billion investment in ship maintenance and industrial capacity. Discussions center on shipyard throughput, workforce shortages and modernization. Less attention is given to one of the factors influencing all three: corrosion.

Corrosion is not simply another maintenance issue. It is the mechanism that quietly drives repair costs, extends maintenance availabilities and reduces fleet readiness. Every ship battles saltwater, humidity and environmental exposure. Whether maintenance investments extend service life or keep pace with deterioration depends on how effectively corrosion is managed.

The Department of War has estimated that corrosion costs the military over $20 billion annually Those costs rarely receive the same attention as new ship construction or emerging technologies. Yet, they directly affect operational availability, increase maintenance demands and shorten the service life of critical assets.

Preventing corrosion costs far less than repairing it. Surface preparation, protective coatings, cathodic protection, inspection and disciplined maintenance form a complete preservation system. Weakness in any one area reduces the effectiveness of the others.

When Congress evaluates ship maintenance investments, corrosion prevention deserves to be viewed as one of the highest-return readiness investments available.

Technology Doesn’t Scale Without Standards

The Navy is rapidly adopting laser surface preparation, robotics, drone-assisted inspections, additive manufacturing and predictive maintenance technologies. Each represents meaningful progress toward improving efficiency and reducing maintenance timelines.

Technology alone does not deliver readiness.

Every new maintenance process requires validated procedures, qualified craft workers/inspectors and recognized standards before fleet-wide implementation. Without that framework, innovative technologies remain demonstrations instead of operational capabilities.

Laser surface preparation demonstrates the point well. It reduces hazardous waste while improving efficiency. Consistent results require qualified personnel, standardized inspection procedures and qualification criteria that ensure work performed in one shipyard meets the same expectations across the fleet.

Technology can accelerate maintenance, but only people make it reliable.

Corrosion control is running short of the trained people it needs to function. Inspectors, coatings specialists and preservation professionals require specialized education, certification and experience to ensure maintenance work meets established performance requirements.

Artificial intelligence and advanced inspection technologies help identify maintenance needs earlier and improve planning. They will augment, not replace, the trained professionals who interpret findings and verify work against recognized standards.

Building that workforce pipeline is just as important as investing in new maintenance technologies, and industry leaders should treat it as a parallel priority.

Turning Innovation into Readiness

This is where organizations, such as the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP), play an important role by developing the standards, certifications and training that allow emerging technologies to be implemented consistently across government and industry. AMPP works with defense agencies, shipbuilders, owners and operators to help establish the technical foundation that supports reliable corrosion prevention and materials performance.

As maintenance technologies evolve, that foundation becomes increasingly important.

The Navy’s maintenance backlog will not be solved through technology alone. Nor will it be solved simply by increasing maintenance funding.

Long-term readiness depends on ensuring that every maintenance investment is supported by the workforce, standards and technical consistency needed to deliver lasting results.

The ships of tomorrow will undoubtedly incorporate new tools and new technologies. But their long-term availability will still depend on an enduring principle that has guided naval maintenance for decades: preventing corrosion before it becomes another repair waiting in line.

Jennifer Merck is the vice president, maritime & defense for Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP).