US Navy Hones Vital Missile Reloading Skill for Pacific Conflicts

As of August 2025, the US Navy is intensely focused on honing its ability to rearm its warships at sea, a vital logistics capability that could be crucial in a potential conflict against China in the Pacific.

Last month, the American destroyer USS Higgins simulated reloading an SM-2 missile while off the coast of Australia, with Navy officials characterizing this reloading skill as "essential" for sustained combat operations in the Indo-Pacific region. This type of exercise has become increasingly important in recent years, as US warships have expended hundreds of missiles for air defense against threats from Iran and Yemen during operations in the Middle East.

The threat of a potential clash with China, which maintains a formidable arsenal of ballistic and cruise missiles, has made it critical that the US Navy can quickly reload on the fly rather than having to return to port. In October 2024, the Navy achieved a "breakthrough in combat readiness" by demonstrating a new "Transferrable Reload At-sea Method" (TRAM) that allows missiles to be transferred from a support ship to a warship at sea.

"Exercises like this are critical to validating our ability to safely and effectively reload at sea, ensuring our ships remain combat-ready whenever and wherever needed," said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Kevin Kodrin, the ordnance officer for the task force that led the recent drill. The Navy expects to field the TRAM capability in the next few years, giving its warships greater agility and a "lethal tactical advantage" in the Indo-Pacific.