The U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding seems stuck in a new-construction and delayed-repair “doom loop” from which it can’t recover. Each year — despite steadily rising budgets for shipbuilding — the fleet shrinks and ages. Navy leaders blame the industry that builds ships; the industry points to long-term contracts that don’t flex with wages, inflation, and budgetary uncertainty.
But we don’t have time for finger-pointing. We must reverse this decline as soon as possible. China now boasts a globally present blue-water navy that is bigger than that of the U.S., with competitive tonnage and firepower. Its grey-hulled fleets are wreaking havoc in the Western Pacific. The U.S. Navy can’t keep the peace if it doesn’t have a comparable fleet.
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