Biden Admin’s Supply Chain Woes Hamper Navy: 40% of US Nuclear Subs Under Repair
America’s Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarines: A Critical Disadvantage
A new report has revealed a concerning situation for America’s nuclear-powered attack submarines. More than a third of these submarines, specifically 18 out of 49, are currently idle or undergoing repairs, surpassing the Navy’s goal of 20 percent. This information was disclosed in a Congressional Research Service report released on July 6.
During the first year of the Biden administration, the idle submarine figure stood at 37 percent. Although it briefly decreased to 33 percent in fiscal year 2022, it has risen again this year. The Navy’s last successful achievement of having 80 percent of SSNs (attack submarines) ready for combat dates back to 2015 when only 19 percent were idle.
This decline in combat-ready SSNs has raised concerns about meeting day-to-day mission demands and potentially placing increased operational pressure on the submarines that are operationally ready, as highlighted in the report.
The report attributes the increase in idle submarines primarily to insufficient numbers of workers and facility constraints at the four government-operated Naval Shipyards. Additionally, supply chain issues affecting the availability of repair parts for SSNs have been identified as an additional challenge.
The Navy is actively addressing these issues by working with shipbuilders, investing in the submarine industrial base, and strategically outsourcing to improve production capacity and overcome supply chain issues and workforce skills gaps.
Bloomberg, in its coverage of the report, emphasized that this situation puts the US at a critical disadvantage compared to China’s numerically superior fleet.
The Naval Sea Systems Command acknowledged the challenges and attributed them to “planning, material availability, and shipyard execution.” They have responded to these primary maintenance delay drivers.
The Government Accounting Office (GAO) spokesperson, Chuck Young, commented on the shipyards’ struggle to support the fleet due to old facilities and inefficient layouts. The GAO has reported that from 2008 to 2018, the Navy lost the equivalent of 28 years of workdays due to delays in shipyard operations.
Newport News Shipbuilding’s president, Jennifer Boykin, stated that the current problem traces back to the pandemic. The workforce shortage during the six months in 2020, along with similar issues faced by suppliers, had a significant impact. Boykin emphasized the need for increased funding to ensure the timely provision of parts.
Boykin stressed the importance of not starving the beginning of the process and working with the Navy to secure advanced funding for struggling suppliers who are already grappling with workforce challenges.
Addressing these supply chain issues and strengthening the Navy’s nuclear submarine fleet is crucial to maintain a strong defense posture.
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