Posted on March 24, 2025
If U.S. shipbuilding shortfalls are not rectified soon, America may not be able to maintain the superior fleets it has enjoyed for many years.
Nearly all of the U.S. Navy’s upcoming projects appear to be suffering from countless delays. From the service’s Ford-class aircraft carriers and F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter jet to the DDG(X) destroyer project and Columbia-class submarines, budgetary issues and shipbuilding constraints are holding back many of the Navy’s long-term plans. Last year, the service revealed its new guided missile frigate is three years behind schedule, the aircraft carrier Enterprise is two years behind schedule, the Columbia-class submarines are one year behind schedule and the Virginia-class attack submarine is two years behind schedule. In light of escalating tensions in the South China Sea, Red Sea, and Black Sea, the timely introduction of new and improved military systems is truly required for the United States to maintain a formidable deterrence against its adversaries. President Donald Trump pledged to rectify these shortcomings with a new office of shipbuilding within the White House dedicated to reviving the industry.
How to improve domestic shipbuilding
As part of Trump’s remarks last month surrounding this new venture, he asserted “We are also going to resurrect the American shipbuilding industry, including commercial shipbuilding and military shipbuilding.” The president added “We used to make so many ships. We don’t make them anymore very much, but we’re going to make them very fast, very soon. It will have a huge impact to further enhance our national security.” In 2024, Navy leaders conducted a forty-five-day review of their shipbuilding portfolio to assess the extent of the causes of its shipbuilding challenges. Essentially, the review concluded that supply issues due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic spearheaded the delays. Labor shortages have also influenced the prolonged trajectories of the Navy’s upcoming projects. A naval analyst recently told the House Armed Services Committee that pay remained one of the larger roadblocks preventing labor retention in the shipbuilding workforce. According to the U.S. Naval Institute, the analyst asserted that increasing wages for shipyard workers, including welders, electricians, pipefitters, and shipfitters would be critical for retention.
Design changes implemented by the Navy after a project has already begun its construction phase have also caused delays to the service’s emerging projects. When it comes to the Constellation-class frigates, the program is running three years behind schedule due to planned modifications. While the ship is based on the FREMM multi-mission frigate design in use with the French and Italian navies, the Navy opted to modify the vessel to “fit our (America’s) national and military needs.” The decisions to alter the frigate’s length and ordnance storage were made after the service already approved construction to begin. In order to prevent this dynamic from occurring again, more time should be allotted to the planning process of military systems and less to the construction phases.
If U.S. shipbuilding shortfalls are not rectified soon, America may not be able to maintain the superior fleets it has enjoyed for many years. The timely introduction of new technologies is essential to thwarting the naval development efforts of China and Russia.
