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The Future of the US Navy
Apr 26, 2025
Eric Labs, a Congressional Budget Office Analyst for Naval Forces and Weapons, discusses the U.S. Navy's challenges amid rising threats from China. He emphasizes the urgent need for an overhaul in shipbuilding processes and debates whether warships should be sourced from American suppliers or allies like South Korea and Japan. Labs highlights the importance of adapting naval strategies to modern warfare, including the integration of drones, and underscores the crucial role of logistics in maintaining naval supremacy.
26:16
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Quick takeaways
- The U.S. Navy faces critical shipbuilding challenges, with outdated processes leading to prolonged construction times and budget overruns.
- Technological advancements necessitate the Navy's shift towards hybrid fleets, incorporating both manned and unmanned systems for enhanced operational efficiency.
Deep dives
Challenges in U.S. Navy Shipbuilding
The U.S. Navy is currently facing significant challenges in its shipbuilding capabilities, with an increase in its budget to $39 billion in 2025. The rising costs and longer construction times for new ships have impeded progress towards the Navy's goal of maintaining a fleet of 381 ships. Currently, outdated construction processes mean that it takes up to 11 years to build aircraft carriers, with old ships being retired faster than new ones are commissioned. This situation is further exacerbated by cost overruns, whereby $8 billion of the shipbuilding budget is allocated to address these overruns on previously authorized ships.
