AS US NAVY SHIPBUILDING HITS 26-YEAR LOW, TRUMP LOOKS AT OUTSOURCING OPTIONS

Two underrated parts of our national defense lie in the oceans that separate us from several enemies, frenemies, and rivals. Thankfully, not only does the United States have geographical help, but Sailors can be found throughout keeping our nation and ships safe from harm. The same can be seen throughout various waterways in the world. However, as naval warfare continues to become more important, our nation is facing a big problem. US Navy shipbuilding efforts are dealing with multiple issues hindering production and our ability to fight. It’s a problem Donald Trump is determined to fix, even if it means looking for options outside the United States.
Donald Trump Plans to Outsource US Navy Shipbuilding if American Efforts Don’t Improve
The woes of US Navy shipbuilding are nothing new and President-elect Donald Trump looks to be tackling the problem as he gears up for a second term.
"We’re going to do something with ships. We need ships, and we may have to go a different route than you would normally go. We don’t build ships anymore. We used to build a ship a day. We don’t build ships anymore. We want to get that started, and maybe we’ll use allies, also, in terms of building ships. We might have to," said Trump.
Outsourcing US Navy shipbuilding to allies is a direct response to China’s effective production of vessels at a time when naval warfare continues to grow in importance. As it stands, China is over 230 times greater in its shipbuilding capacity than America.
It’s a stance from the soon-to-be leader of the Free World that is acting as yet another alarm for the industry, which is struggling with several variables.
At the same time, Donald Trump’s political campaign focused heavily on the idea of making the United States a manufacturing hub while imposing tariffs on imports. The contrasting views are evident but the simple point remains, the US Navy needs better production.
"We’re going to be announcing some things that are going to be very good having to do with the Navy. We need ships. We have to get ships, and you know, everybody said, ‘Oh, we’ll build them.’ We may have to go to others, (and) bid them out, and it’s okay to do that. We’ll bid them out until we get ourselves ready," said Trump.
The problems with the Navy don’t begin and end with traditional ships either, U.S. submarines are also lagging, with only 68 nuclear submarines compared to a Cold War high of 140.
Trump continues to criticize Navy leadership for costly design changes at a time when key shipbuilding programs are delayed while the industry is facing workforce shortages. As a result of these factors and more, the U.S. controls only around 0.2% of commercial shipbuilding in the global market.
US Navy Shipbuilding Is Struggling to Keep Up
The Houthi rebels are shooting drones and missiles through the Red Sea. Additionally, war with China continues to creep up, and Europe continues to see conflict. All of this while US Navy shipbuilding continues to linger. There is a labor shortage but it’s much deeper than that involving not only hiring but retaining employees as well as budgeting and geopolitical aspects that have created our current problem.
Currently, the Navy is experiencing a backlog of ships made worse as leaders change designs and add costs to already expensive projects. The United States may still have the most powerful naval fleet but China officially has more ships available for fighting. Furthermore, it has been well documented that the Navy has been struggling with maintaining its current fleet and not always doing so with ideal methods.
The US Navy shipbuilders that are working on vessels continue to put forth a great effort; however, this is the worst output America has seen in 26 years. For example, contractor Marinette Marine has the opportunity to build a total of ten ships, of which it’s already working on six.
The problem? With its current workforce, Marinette Marine can only build one ship per year until things change. Some ships are three years behind schedule.
The Ongoing Welder Shortage Is Affecting National Defense
As the US Navy needs more ships, the industry responsible for making them is having labor issues. The Navy is calling for more welders as a whole. Now, US Navy shipbuilding is facing problems with production as a result of being understaffed.
One of the solutions shipyards are providing to address the welder shortage in the US is to collaborate with technical colleges by providing programs to train people to get the skills they need to join the workforce.
Specific efforts are bringing a focus on creating warships, whereas some shipyards are able to find some workers, yet they don’t have the ideal type of knowledge or experience. As pointed out by the American Welding Society (AWS), the shortage is a problem nations around the world are facing. In part, there are negative connotations associated with the industry, along with the skill gap mentioned above.
Collaborative programs between the military and technical schools are helping provide a new perspective on the promising industry while also teaching people the skills they need to become Navy shipbuilders. Furthermore, contractors are also utilizing some of the funding provided by the Navy. This is to retain necessary employees and to reach hiring goals to meet demand.
Decline in US Navy Shipbuilding Is Coming at the Worst Possible Time
The Navy 30-year shipbuilding plan released in 2024 outlines multiple paths to reach 381 ships, whereas presently, the U.S. has just under 300 deployable in its fleet. There are plans in place yet US Navy shipbuilding efforts continue to face rising global threats amid various labor hardships. But this isn’t the first time Sailors have had to rise against such challenges.
Even as funding is in question and the industry works to gain back its workers, the Navy continues to push forward. There may not be a small or instant solution to the US Navy shipbuilding problems our nation faces today. However, the continued collaboration and innovation from those involved is an encouraging sign.
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