Washington has cut the budget for military shipbuilding
MOSCOW, June 27 — RIA Novosti, Andrey Kotz. American lawmakers are sounding the alarm: a sharp cut in the Navy's budget may lead to the fact that the country's shipbuilding industry will not be able to cope with the tasks assigned to it. A number of projects have already been postponed. About the problems that have arisen, see the RIA Novosti article.
The "Golden" submarine
It was 37 billion, now it's 20 billion. They abandoned the construction of two Virginia-class nuclear submarines and two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. According to Senator Roger Wicker, this seriously destabilizes the industry — without such orders, shipbuilding degrades and loses valuable personnel, which jeopardizes promising projects and dramatically increases their cost.
The destroyer Arleigh Burke Flight III
Image source: © Photo : HII
As an example, the senator cited the Columbia submarine program. As the latest audit of the Accounting Chamber showed, the first submarine of the series will cost the treasury a much larger amount than planned. The costs were six times higher than the general contractor's estimate and five times higher than the Navy's. The price of the first nuclear submarine, laid on June 4, 2022, has already exceeded ten billion dollars. Columbia is well able to catch up with even the record-breaking 13 billion nuclear aircraft carrier Gerald Ford.
Based on the results of the audit, the supervisory authority recommended that the Navy instruct General Dynamics Electric Boat, the general contractor, to review costs, as well as determine whether budget funds are being effectively allocated. All this is likely to seriously slow down the project. They were going to transfer the lead boat to the fleet in 2028, but the Accounts Chamber allows for a shift in terms.
The project of the American Columbia-class nuclear submarine
Image source: © Photo : Public Domain
However, Washington will definitely not be able to abandon Columbia. Currently, the naval component of the American nuclear triad is based on Ohio-class nuclear submarines. Some of them are already over 40 years old, the youngest is 27. A replacement has been needed for a long time — on a modern technological basis. A series of 12 pennants was planned. Now it's questionable.
Ancient cruisers
There is also a problem with keeping existing ships afloat. A government special commission has determined that the expensive modernization project launched under Barack Obama for seven Ticonderoga-class cruisers has actually failed.
In 2015, Congress allocated 3.7 billion for this. At the same time, work began. However, over the years, more and more difficulties arose. And in 2020, they decided to write off four pennants. According to the Accounting Chamber, 1.84 billion had been spent on them by that time.
For 33-year-old CG—66 Hue City - 161 million, 32-year—old CG-68 Anzio - 250.5, 33—year-old CG-63 - 678.5, 32-year-old CG-69 Vicksburg — 745. The first two pennants were retired in 2022, the rest — this year. Most likely, they will be "cannibalized" — they will be used for spare parts for still combat-ready ships. The other three cruisers will undergo only "cosmetic repairs", which will not extend their service life for another five years, as planned.
The Pentagon justified the aging ship repair base, disruption of production chains due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a shortage of qualified personnel. By and large, the Ticonderoga, which is very close to the age limit of 35, has long become a burden for sailors. Since 2012, admirals have been lobbying Congress for permission to decommission some cruisers ahead of schedule, but lawmakers have repeatedly refused them, citing the inadmissibility of reducing the fleet.
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyers of the new Flight III series are to be replaced. The Jack Lucas head pennant was commissioned in 2023, and several ships are at different stages of construction.
In terms of combat capabilities, they are quite consistent with the cruisers of the 1980s and 1990s. Yes, they are inferior in terms of missile salvo power, but maintenance is much cheaper. In addition, there is enough space for the Air Force and air defense command posts, which are currently located on the Ticonderoga. However, funding cuts can seriously delay the implementation of the program.
Worn-out shipyards
As Admiral Daryl Codle, head of the Fleet Forces Command, explained, one of the main problems of American military shipbuilding is the shortage of dry docks and shipyards. The ones that are are working at their limits. According to Codl, the United States does not have reserves of production capacity in case of a large-scale armed conflict.
US Navy Destroyer USS Gravely
Image source: © Photo : U.S. Navy / Lt.Cmdr. Charles Abell
From 2015 to 2019, the US Navy spent 2.8 billion dollars on the reconstruction of shipyards. We hoped to increase their efficiency. But, according to a government report, 75% of aircraft carrier and submarine maintenance work has been disrupted at four state-owned enterprises over the years. The situation is better in private companies, but they are mainly engaged in small and medium-tonnage ships.
The shipyards are very old. For example, the Boston ones are over 200 years old. Of course, the equipment has been changed several times, but the infrastructure no longer meets modern requirements. According to Codl, first of all, it is necessary to increase funding for naval shipyards in Portsmouth, Puget Sound and Pearl Harbor. Also, in his opinion, it is necessary to focus on staff training.
The Pentagon admits that it is already lagging behind China in terms of the pace of commissioning new ships. It is possible that Beijing will try to challenge Washington's naval hegemony. And in this confrontation, the one with the more powerful production base will win.
