The delayed ships include a new fleet of Virginia-class attack submarines, guided-missile destroyers and a new Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier.
The announcement comes after a 45-day review ordered by Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro in January. The review identified “deficits” that caused the delays, including labor shortages and supply chain issues.
Speaking at the Navy League’s Sea Air Space Conference on April 9, Del Toro said the review found that “too many of our industry partners are behind schedule and over budget on our highest priority programs “.
Del Toro also said the Navy’s Office of Strategic Assessment would conduct a “thorough analysis” to find solutions to address the delays, including the procurement of advanced equipment and the purchase of multiple ships.
“I think there’s a lot of promise that we can reduce these timelines in the future,” he said.
The major delays come amid concerns that China is outpacing U.S. shipbuilding and increasing its naval capabilities. The US Department of Defense said China now has “the largest navy in the world, with a combat force of more than 370 platforms”, and it is only expected to grow – with up to 435 ships by the end of the decade.
But China is not the only shipbuilding superpower in the Indo-Pacific region. The Navy secretary said he and his team were “floored” by the shipbuilding capabilities of U.S. ally South Korea.
In a February statement, the Navy recognized Korean and Japanese shipbuilding as an asset to the United States, as “China continues to aggressively pursue global shipbuilding dominance.”
businessinsider
