USN and industry tackle shipyard delays
USS Helena, shown here arriving at Norfolk, is an example of US shipyard delays. It remained dockside at Norfolk for an extended period before going to Newport News Shipyard, which is to return the submarine to the USN later in 2021. (Photo: USN/Shayne He
Delays in public and private shipyards are reducing USN operational capabilities, ADM Michael Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations, said on 2 August during the annual Navy League Sea-Air-Space conference in Washington.
‘We are getting after delay days,’ he explained, adding that by ‘heavily leveraging analytics’ the Navy had determined that ‘30% of delay days were attributable to poor planning up front: that’s on us’.
Supply chain disruptions had contributed to ‘shared responsibilities’ for these delays, Gilday remarked. ‘If there was any silver lining of COVID, it is in the lifting of the opaque curtain and increasing supply chain
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
-
Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development
Ukraine’s battlefield has rewritten the rules of uncrewed systems development. For Syos Aerospace, real-time operator feedback, lean serial production and a system-of-systems philosophy are central to its operating model.
-
Peru partnership may serve as a template for South Korean naval exports into South America
With a growing pipeline of naval modernisation programmes in South America, South Korean companies could be set to expand their presence in the region as recent contract wins highlight growing collaboration.
-
AUKUS plan B? Japan’s submarines stopgap gains traction
Australia’s Collins-class life of type extension has revived debate over whether Canberra needs a contingency plan as risks to every stage of the AUKUS pathway mount. With Japan newly open to exports, the case for a diesel-electric stopgap is gaining traction.
-
Seoul’s SSN programme launch raises questions on fuel, tech and build location
Seoul has unveiled its “Jangbogo-N Project” to develop domestically built, nuclear-propelled attack submarines in close coordination with Washington, marking an escalation of the Republic of Korea’s deterrence posture against Pyongyang’s undersea nuclear capabilities.