The readiness rate of amphibious ships critical to Marine missions has dropped to 41%, according to a defense official speaking with Military Times. This decline comes as thousands of Marines and sailors are deployed to Latin America and the Caribbean, as part of the Trump administration’s intensified efforts to combat drug cartels.

This lack of available amphibious warfare ships, often referred to as “amphibs,” has led to a more than five-month gap in Marine Expeditionary Unit deployments this year. The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) completed its last patrol aboard the America Amphibious Ready Group in early March, while the 22nd MEU deployed aboard the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group on Thursday.

Currently, the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group is sailing off the coast of the Carolinas to avoid Hurricane Erin. An official who requested anonymity stated that the ships’ entry into Caribbean waters has been delayed due to the storm, which is projected to remain a major hurricane through midweek.

The decline in amphibious readiness emphasizes the Navy’s failure to address significant fleet maintenance issues at a time when the Trump administration seeks to enhance military options to fulfill its Make America Great Again agenda. The President aims to bolster military strength while addressing immigration and combating illegal drug trafficking into the U.S.

The three amphibious ships that set sail on Thursday are carrying over 4,500 sailors and Marines. These include the amphibious assault flagship Iwo Jima (LHD 7), along with the San Antonio-class transport dock ships San Antonio (LPD 17) and Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28). As reported by CNN, the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and the 22nd MEU are en route to U.S. Southern Command to provide the President with a wide array of military options against drug cartels. Further, Reuters indicated the U.S. is deploying additional military resources to the southern Caribbean Sea, including at least one submarine and several P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft.

In February, the Trump administration designated Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua as global terrorist organizations. In recent months, the U.S. has also deployed at least two destroyers to enhance border security and counter-narcotics efforts.

Despite these deployments, officials have warned that these Marines might not have received proper training for drug interdiction operations. According to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report from last December, half of the U.S. Navy’s 32 amphibious warfare ships are in poor material condition.

The Marine Corps has articulated the necessity of maintaining an amphib readiness rate of 80% or higher to effectively complete missions with the current fleet size. Marine Corps Commandant **Gen. Eric Smith** has described the readiness rate as a “crisis,” stating, “I have the Marines, and I have the squadrons, and I have the battalions and the batteries … I just don’t have the amphibs.”

The Navy’s challenges in adhering to planned maintenance schedules for amphibious warfare ships have persisted since 2010. Documentation indicates that between 2010 and 2021, over two-thirds of amphibious warfare ship maintenance extended beyond the original schedule, cumulatively resulting in 28.5 years of lost training and deployment time.

Although amphibious warfare ships constitute only 10% of the fleet, they are a preferred alternative to aircraft carriers for operations requiring precision and expediency. Marine Expeditionary Units can conduct a variety of missions, including fighter jet strikes, support during non-combatant evacuation operations, and disaster relief efforts.