10 U.S.C. § 8698: Roles and responsibilities…

Summary

Starting one year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of the Navy must make type commanders the main leaders in charge of keeping certain Navy surface ships maintained, repaired, sustained, and ready. Regional maintenance centers must work under and support those type commanders. Type commanders must oversee all work at private shipyards for their ships and set priorities and approve contracts. For any covered ship in a private shipyard, the project manager, the port engineer, and the ship’s commanding officer may together decide what overhaul work will be done and can change priorities if they follow the budget and schedule. They must report straight to the type commander. Department of Defense contracting officers must run contracts so they match those joint decisions. Covered vessel: a Navy surface ship not powered by a nuclear reactor. Port engineer: the technical adviser on a ship’s repairs. Project manager: the person who runs the overhaul. Regional maintenance center: a Navy organization that supports ship maintenance in a region (examples include Mid-Atlantic, Southwest, Southeast, and Hawaii centers). Type commander: the flag officer who commands a naval surface force (for example, Atlantic or Pacific).

Title 10, §8698

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Type Commander Leadership.—

(1)Beginning on the date that is one year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of the Navy shall—

(A)designate type commanders as the primary authorities responsible for the maintenance, repair, sustainment, and readiness of covered vessels; and

(B)ensure that regional maintenance centers act under the direction of, and in support of, type commanders with respect to such maintenance, repair, and sustainment.

(2)The responsibilities of each type commander under paragraph (1)(A) shall include—

(A)overseeing all maintenance and repair activities at private shipyards for covered vessels in the naval force of that type commander; and

(B)setting priorities and approving contracts for the maintenance and repair of such vessels.

(b)Maintenance and Repair at Private Shipyards.—

(1)Beginning on the date that is one year after the date of the enactment of this section, for each covered vessel undergoing maintenance or repair at a private shipyard, the project manager concerned, the port engineer concerned, and the commanding officer of such vessel—

(A)may jointly determine the work to be performed during the overhaul period for the covered vessel, including by jointly adjusting priorities for such work consistent with the applicable budget and schedule for such maintenance or repair; and

(B)shall report directly to the type commander of the naval force to which the covered vessel belongs with respect to such maintenance or repair.

(2)Contracting officers of the Department of Defense shall manage contracts as necessary to ensure consistency with any determination or adjustment made pursuant to paragraph (1)(A).

(c)Definitions.—

In this section: (1)

(2)The term “port engineer concerned” means, with respect to a naval vessel, the technical expert on the condition of such vessel responsible for advising on repairs and related standards for such vessel.

(3)The term “project manager concerned” means, with respect to a naval vessel undergoing maintenance or repair, the individual responsible for overseeing the overhaul period with respect to such maintenance or repair.

(4)The term “regional maintenance center”—

(A)means an organization of the Navy that supports ship maintenance in a designated geographic region; and

(B)includes the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center in Nofolk, Virginia, the Southwest Regional Maintenance Center in San Diego, California, the Southeast Regional Maintenance Center in Mayport, Florida, and the Hawaii Regional Maintenance Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

(5)The term “type commander” means the flag officer in command of a naval surface force, such as the following:

(A)Commander, Naval Surface Force, Atlantic.

(B)Commander, Naval Surface Force, Pacific Fleet.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The date of the enactment of this section, referred to in text, means the date of enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, which was approved on December 18, 2025.

§8698 Roles and Responsibilities Relating to Sustainment and Readiness of Certain Naval Surface Vessels

Summary

Title 10, §8698

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

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