The United States Merchant Marine: Vital Component of American Sea Power and the National Defense

Abstract

Abstract : Merchant shipping and shipbuilding have been of vital importance to Americans since their colonial beginnings. Today, the United States depends on sealift, along with airlift, to project and sustain U.S. military overseas. The U.S. merchant marine is of pivotal importance to America's sealift capability. Over the past several years, America's privately owned merchant fleet has declined in numbers and in ships which are considered by the Navy to be useful to the military. America's private shipbuilding industry has also declined, particularly in regard to the construction of merchant ships. This treatise addresses the U.S. merchant marine and its importance to American sea power and the national defense. It provides a brief history of the U.S. maritime industry, an overview of recent trends, and recommends a general direction for future U.S. maritime policy. The importance of competition, technological application, and creative government policy is stressed.