U.S. Shipyards Face Decline, Seek Foreign Partnerships to Rebuild Naval Power
U.S. shipyards are experiencing a significant decline, marked by extended construction times for naval vessels and a shortage of deployable ships. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports that destroyers and attack submarines, which once took five to six years to build, now require nine to ten years. This decline is attributed to decades of policy shifts, high labor and material costs, and the collapse of the commercial shipbuilding ecosystem after the end of construction differential subsidies in 1981. The U.S. currently has only nine major shipyards capable of naval construction, four of which are public and five are owned by major defense contractors. These facilities often rely on outdated equipment, and the industry struggles with an aging workforce and difficulties in recruiting new skilled labor. Approximately 82% of new U.S. warships and submarines are behind schedule due to industrial decay, workforce shortages, design changes, and fragile supply chains. The Trump administration has proposed ...
