On December 7, 1941, the Japanese conducted a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and sunk several warships that were moored pierside.  You would think that incident caused the US Navy to build structures to protect ships in port, especially since most ships now cost almost one billion dollars each.  Take a look at this 1998 photo of the Pearl Harbor base.

       All the ships are tied up close together and in the open.  Anyone in Hawaii can drive by and see what ships are in port and where they are located.  Commandos from submarines, fishing boats, yachts, or private aircraft can pick out and attack targets easily.  Of course enemy bombers can never attack Hawaii, which is what the Navy thought in 1941.  Even a couple of guys with automatic rifles can cause millions of dollars in damage to modern ships from 1000 meters away.  This same vulnerability exists at most US naval stations today, and is a great weakness in the US Navy.

     The Navy's top priority should be the construction of large hangars to cover piers.  This will hide them from satellites and direct human observation.  Attackers would know that ships are inside some hangars, but they would not be sure which to target or exactly where to fire.  If enemy bombers or commandos launch missiles, they will explode when they strike the hangar, causing little damage to the ships inside.  Finally, if the area is hit by an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), the hangars will absorb much of the blast.  Another advantage in keeping ships indoors is reduced weather damage to equipment and a much better maintenance work environment.  Loading supplies and making repairs will be safer and faster during bad weather days.  The British Navy has such hangars at its base in Portsmouth.

      The US Navy must also get serious about security and demand the huge US Marine Corps fulfill its mission of defending Navy bases.  A well armed boat such as the Marine Corps' Riverine Assault Craft (above) should patrol major Navy ports 24 hours a day and turn back any small boats that approach Navy ships.  In addition, an armed Cobra attack helicopter with Stinger air-to-air missiles should be on "Alert 5" 24 hours a day near each port, meaning it must be airborne within five minutes of a request.  The Cobra can also assist base law enforcement in car chases and the Coast Guard.  Finally, Marines with rifles should control access to Navy piers.  The Marine Corps has plenty of resources for this mission now sitting around on Okinawa doing nothing of value.

     The Navy must then develop a long-term plan to build "ship pens", similar to German U-boat pens from World War II.  (above) These pens will be part of new bases far from large cities where security is impossible.  Huge concrete bunkers covered by earth can protect ships from everything but direct nuclear hits.  Countries like Norway have tunnels bored into rocky cliffs to hide small attack boats.  It may be impractical to put huge aircraft carriers in pens, but submarines, cruisers and destroyers should be grouped in underground facilities, complete with a camouflaged entrance gate.

     In past wars, many powerful ships have been sunk while tied up at naval bases.  In future wars, they will prove far more vulnerable because worldwide communications allow agents to report shipping activity within seconds.  Navy ships in the port of San Diego (left) are extremely vulnerable as they are located in a small bay and crowded urban area where dozens of unmonitored pleasure craft cruise about that could be used to attack billion-dollar warships.  The three aircraft carrier berths are wide open to attack or ramming from any ship or boat entering the harbor.  All navies need ship pens to protect their expensive ships.  Precision guided munitions have made ships very vulnerable, especially tied up pierside.  

      The US Navy may feel invincible at sea, but most ships are sitting ducks in crowded urban areas where security is a joke.  While ships at sea are difficult to find, 50% of US Navy ships are tied to piers marked on tourist maps with no protection from the air or sea.   Some ships are even irresponsibly homeported in places like Sasebo, Japan where they are in easy range of Chinese or Korean aircraft and missile strikes.  While no one expects funding or political support for moving ships to secure ports, the Navy can develop a 50-year plan to gradually move its homeports to safer areas.  The World War II slogan "Remember Pearl Harbor" has been forgotten; its past time to address this issue before another sitting duck shoot occurs.