The immediate need for more naval shipyard capacity must be addressed before considering the longer-term solution of restoring US shipbuilding in general. The lack of capacity has led to a backlog of maintenance and repair work, rendering much of the fleet undeployable. Powerful warships have been decommissioned due to the inability to maintain them, and delays in shipyard maintenance have hindered the Navy’s readiness.
To address this issue, the Navy is formulating the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP) to modernize existing facilities. However, this plan may not yield the large boost in capacity needed. New shipyards are necessary, with potential locations in California’s San Francisco Bay area and Lorain, Ohio. Funding for these projects can be allocated by reallocating resources from less urgent programs to address the clear and present danger to national security.
To expedite the addition of new shipbuilding capacity, legislation should be passed to exempt these projects from lengthy environmental impact studies. It is imperative to act swiftly to ensure the readiness and effectiveness of the US Navy in the face of potential threats. Failure to progress on this front will result in the gradual weakening of our Navy and may be perceived as a sign of vulnerability by adversarial nations like China.
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of The Epoch Times.
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