Solution offered for US Navy’s nuclear submarine availability problem
The USN has four public shipyards -- at Norfolk, Portsmouth, Puget Sound and Pearl Harbor – but these lack the capacity to properly sustain the SSN fleet. (Photo: USN)
Bartlett Maritime Corporation (BMC) has published a plan that offers a solution to the US Navy’s availability crisis with its Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs).
The Bartlett Maritime Plan identifies a need for large-scale investment in additional infrastructure, facilities and skilled personnel to expand the USN’s submarine industrial support base.
This will allow key products and equipment to be manufactured at scale and delivered to navy submarine maintenance facilities, allowing them to complete the repair and overhaul of Virginia-class SSNs much faster. It will mean the boats can spend more time on operations.
A spokesperson from the USN told Shephard that it had received the submission and “is considering this submission and all prior submissions from BMC within the broader context of navy efforts and
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Euronaval 2026: Red Cat’s Blue Ops follows USV demand from Asia to the Andes]()
Euronaval 2026: Red Cat’s Blue Ops follows USV demand from Asia to the Andes
With its B-26 USV in full-rate production, Blue Ops is seeking to turn overseas interest into orders through a combination of lower operating costs, UAV integration and local manufacturing.
-
![Euronaval 2026: Baltic breakthrough powers Saildrone’s next European expansion]()
Euronaval 2026: Baltic breakthrough powers Saildrone’s next European expansion
Denmark’s doubled deployment, Mediterranean smuggling routes and Norwegian composite hulls show where uncrewed surveillance demand is heading, while British funding remains unclear.
-
![From Chokepoints to the Deep: ASELSAN’s Naval Vision at EURONAVAL]()
From Chokepoints to the Deep: ASELSAN’s Naval Vision at EURONAVAL
From deployable ship defence to autonomous sea and underwater vehicles, ASELSAN is preparing for a new era of naval security.
-
![Euronaval 2026: by the power of six, Fincantieri’s MMMV reflects modular naval shift]()
Euronaval 2026: by the power of six, Fincantieri’s MMMV reflects modular naval shift
The 50m, six-person ship from the Italian shipbuilder carries swappable, containerised payloads instead of a fixed mission, reflecting a shift that is becoming increasingly evident.
