Posted on October 28, 2026
By Lewis Coats
Maybe it needs to make better use of the ones it already has. 🚢
Last week, I posted about the big players in US shipbuilding, including Hanwha Philly Shipyard, Saronic Technologies and Anduril Industries, and the huge investments being made across the industry.
The response was brilliant, and the discussion in the comments was arguably more interesting than the post itself. 😂
Anthony Odak raised a great point. (hope you don’t mind the mention)
Why couldn’t smaller shipyards manufacture structural blocks, modules and outfitted sections for larger yards?
Well, some already are.
Earlier this year, Austal USA awarded Master Boat Builders in Alabama a contract to fabricate hull modules for the US Navy‘s T-ATS programme.
A smaller, established shipyard contributing to a much larger naval programme without needing to build the entire vessel.
Surely there’s an opportunity to do more of this?
Think about yards like Conrad Shipyard, Metal Shark Boats or The Great Lakes Towing Company / Great Lakes Shipyard, all with established shipbuilding or fabrication capabilities.
I’m not suggesting every yard could immediately take on complex naval work, but could more of these facilities become part of the wider production network?
Of course, coordinating multiple shipyards, engineering teams, quality standards, logistics and production schedules is probably enough to give a few project managers nightmares. 😂
But perhaps spreading work across more shipyards could help make better use of the skilled people and infrastructure already available, while creating opportunities to develop the next generation.
We’re investing billions into expanding the US shipbuilding industry.
But how much more could we achieve by connecting the capabilities we already have?
I’d genuinely be interested to hear from smaller and mid-sized US shipyards.
Would taking on modular fabrication or subcontracted construction for larger naval programmes be an attractive opportunity, or are the barriers to entry simply too high?
