The Pentagon calls China its primary “pacing challenge” and Russia a major threat to the world order, but the Navy may be facing an even more formidable and insidious challenge to its fleets from within: rust.
The U.S. Navy is fighting a never-ending battle against the unsightly reddish-brown streaks and patches that are caused by the destructive combination of steel hulls, oxygen and seawater. And despite the millions of man hours and billions of dollars spent combating corrosion in the fleet, some fear rust is winning the war.
The Navy’s top admiral has acknowledged how crucial the anti-rust campaign is for the future of the service, militarily and aesthetically.