Security specialist nominated to lead US maritime agency

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has nominated an ex-naval officer and staunch advocate for rebuilding the country’s maritime capabilities to be administrator of the U.S. Maritime Administration, according to Senate documents filed on Monday.

Maritime Administration nominee Brent Sadler. Credit: Heritage Foundation

Brent Sadler, a senior fellow at the conservative-leaning Heritage Foundation, has been chosen to head the agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation responsible for maintaining the health of America’s waterborne transportation system – which includes port and vessel operations, shipbuilding, and commercial mariner recruitment.

“As a Senior Research Fellow, Brent’s focus is on maritime security and the technologies shaping our future maritime forces, especially the Navy,” according to his Heritage Foundation bio.

In a report written for The Heritage Foundation last year, Sadler lamented the deterioration of the U.S. maritime sector, calling it “anemic and unable to respond” to crises without a boost in investment.

“Today, no U.S. port ranks in the top 25 for cargo handling: China holds eight of those spots. Asia – led by China – also has the most vibrant maritime sector with the most commercial shipping entrants.

“The point is not that our ports do not meet today’s need in general; the point is that a lack of competitiveness has not generated the vibrancy either to modernize or to attract and recruit new mariners and the shipyard workers that we need.”

In addition to limited U.S. port infrastructure, his report cited six other vulnerabilities in the U.S. Maritime system:

Reliance on foreign shipping.
Security threats from Chinese-made shipyard cranes.
China’s Logink logistics management platform.
Navigational GPS spoofing.
Fuel tampering and contamination.
Mariner and shipyard worker shortages.

Sadler’s nomination comes as the Trump administration’s plan to target Chinese shipping to regain maritime leverage is getting sharp pushback from ports, freight carriers and shipper interests.