‘Tradition isn’t working’: Navy’s ineffective management adds to construction
Navy Shipbuilding Faces Major Delays, Report Reveals
WASHINGTON — A recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has highlighted significant inefficiencies in the Navy’s shipbuilding management, revealing that construction delays are hindering the fleet’s expansion. The report indicates that the Navy’s ambitious goal of achieving a battle force of 313 ships by 2025 is now out of reach, with projections showing only 287 ships will be operational by that deadline. This shortfall is attributed to ongoing workforce and infrastructure challenges within the shipbuilding industry.
Shipbuilding Delays and Underperformance
The GAO’s findings are stark: from 2019 to 2023, the Navy aimed to deliver 11 new Virginia-class submarines and 15 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. However, only four submarines and seven destroyers have been completed. Alarmingly, 85% of the 45 ships currently under construction are experiencing delays ranging from five months to over three years. This situation has raised concerns about the Navy’s reliance on contracted private shipbuilding companies, which have long expressed the need for a stable industrial base to attract and retain skilled workers while investing in necessary infrastructure.
Despite attempts to reassure the shipbuilding industry through long-term planning and funding commitments, the Navy’s shipbuilding plans have seen significant fluctuations year over year. For instance, the Navy initially planned to procure 11 ships in fiscal 2025 but has since reduced that number to six. Additionally, the Navy’s vision of acquiring up to 35 next-generation attack submarines has been scaled back to just 14. The GAO report emphasizes that these inconsistent plans create an unreliable signal of demand for shipbuilding, further complicating the industry’s ability to meet the Navy’s needs.
Recommendations for Improvement
The GAO has made six key recommendations aimed at enhancing the Navy’s shipbuilding strategy. These include improving visibility across investments, establishing clear metrics for those investments, and developing a cohesive strategy for the ship industrial base. The report stresses the importance of aligning the Navy’s approach with the National Defense Industrial Strategy, which aims to guide policy development and investment in the industrial base over three to five-year increments.
As the report was released, John Phelan, the nominee for the next Navy secretary, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Phelan, a businessman without military experience, has been described as a “non-traditional” candidate for the role. During the hearing, Senator Tim Kaine, who introduced the GAO report, expressed skepticism about the current approach, stating, “Putting more money into the bucket without changing how we are doing things — I now have completely lost confidence that that is going to solve the problem.” The Defense Department has already invested over $5.8 billion from 2014 to 2023 to support the shipbuilding industrial base, with plans to allocate an additional $12.6 billion through fiscal 2028.
