Article

2024-04-05 -Land of the Free

US Navy ship programs face years-long delays amid labor, supply woes

Long. A taste:

[DefenseNews] Several of the U.S. Navy’s top shipbuilding programs are running one year to three years behind schedule, as the service and the industrial base grapple with workforce and management challenges.

Navy leaders conducted a 45-day review of its shipbuilding portfolio, following news in January that a first-of-class guided-missile frigate was behind schedule due in part to a workforce shortage at Fincantieri’s Marinette Marine shipyard in Wisconsin.

Coupled with existing delays to the Virginia-class attack submarine construction line and worries those delays might spill over to the top-priority Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro that month ordered an “assessment of national and local causes of shipbuilding challenges, as well as recommended actions for achieving a healthier U.S. shipbuilding industrial base that provides combat capabilities that our warfighters need, on a schedule that is relevant.”

A SNAPSHOT OF DELAYS
The review’s leaders, Navy acquisition chief Nickolas Guertin and Naval Sea Systems Command head Vice Adm. James Downey, told reporters April 2 the review provided a snapshot of shipbuilding delays and challenges.

Based on current performance, the Navy projects the first Columbia-class SSBN will deliver 12 to 16 months later than its contractual delivery date of October 2027. The submarine is built by General Dynamics’ Electric Boat and HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding.

This is particularly worrisome because the vessel is expected to deploy shortly after its post-delivery testing and training. The Navy is obligated to have 10 SSBNs ready to deploy, lurking beneath the oceans while carrying nuclear missiles. The service is counting on the lead Columbia boat to deliver in 2027 so it can go on its maiden patrol in 2031. With any delays, the Navy will dip below the requirement.

Guertin said the Navy took significant steps prior to the pandemic to reduce risk on this program and accelerate the schedule where possible.

SUPPLY ISSUES
“COVID happened. Supply chain changed. Workforce greening happened,” he said, but previous risk-reduction steps kept the pandemic impacts “as minimal as possible.” The Columbia program, the Navy’s top acquisition priority, is the least delayed of the new programs assessed in the shipbuilding review, Guertin said.

Posted by NoMoreBS 2024-04-05 00:00|| || Front Page|| [221 views ] Top

#1 Bring back the Mothball fleet!

Posted by Skidmark 2024-04-05 01:36|| 2024-04-05 01:36|| Front Page Top

#2 The service is counting on the lead Columbia boat to deliver in 2027 so it can go on its maiden patrol in 2031. With any delays, the Navy will dip below the requirement.

...Oh, but they have an answer for that: a bobtail refit for three Ohios to keep the numbers right.

One tiny, teeny-weeny, infinitesmal problem, almost not worth mentioning: there is no place to do the refits. They could yank other boats out of work to get the Ohios in, but then the ripple effect does it's thing. And there's no guarantee that the refits will be done on time in any event.

The USN had a good run.

Mike

Posted by MikeKozlowski 2024-04-05 06:06|| 2024-04-05 06:06|| Front Page Top

#3 Go to college industry sort of left out the skills needed to build the equipment needed by a modern military. A thousand credentialed debt holders does not make up for one good skilled shipbuilder.

Posted by Procopius2k 2024-04-05 07:27|| 2024-04-05 07:27|| Front Page Top

#4 Welding pioneer describes the trade industry as 'an absolute no brainer' in today's economy

Posted by Skidmark 2024-04-05 08:15|| 2024-04-05 08:15|| Front Page Top

#5 Yes # 4. The problem is building the ranks. Major help issues. So you get a high paying welding or iron worker job. The taxes are insane. So The Francis Scott key bride requires union workers. Understaffed back door option is to hire non union workers. In come the Mexicans and others of Latin persuasion. This option will occur should production be delayed.

Posted by Dale 2024-04-05 08:57|| 2024-04-05 08:57|| Front Page Top

#6 Watch some of the YouTube videos of master welders looking at the work of some of these youngsters lining up for the gold rush.

Experience of course improves one's technique. But without a healthy attitude about the need for improvement, some will not get much job experience.

Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-05 09:14|| 2024-04-05 09:14|| Front Page Top

#7 Obviously. Saying out here:

'The difference between a welder and a farmer, is a welder knows he can't farm.'

Posted by swksvolFF 2024-04-05 09:42|| 2024-04-05 09:42|| Front Page Top

#8 4 ships reviewed by brass including Marines. Why Marines I do not know. Alabama port. Rush welding work. Lumpy and bumpy welds. Seems drones of all types are the future with AI.

Posted by Dale 2024-04-05 10:41|| 2024-04-05 10:41|| Front Page Top

#9 Regular working skilled trades say new help is worthless. If they show up at all just stand there. Big trade show with about 1200 showing up. One signed up to get into the system. If they make it to the sight no show next day. 40 dollar per hour flagger ticketed for going 85 miles per hour. Laid off for four days. He will soon get disability so out of the work force. No desire to work. This is how the system works.

Posted by Dale 2024-04-05 12:20|| 2024-04-05 12:20|| Front Page Top

07:17 Bobby
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