The global collapse in oil prices due to the coronavirus and a production dispute between Russia and Saudi Arabia have pushed scores of tankers waiting off American ports for demand to return. While they are full with American oil, almost none of these tankers are American flagged. While that is not unusual, it is a major problem for national security.
Today, the United States military has access to only nine government and commercial tankers suitable for operations abroad, but it has projected it needs at least 80 tankers to transport fuel from oil refineries to American forces during a large war. There are another nearly 60 American flagged tankers that transport cargo among American ports, but they would need to mostly stay home to keep the domestic economy running. This lack of American tankers is not a new problem, but it has grown worse since the last United States military campaigns out in the Middle East.
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