Tuberville question Naval officials about improving our submarine manufacturing

April 8, 2025 – WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) advocated for improving the U.S.'s ability to build submarines during hearing on the state of nuclear shipbuilding at a Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower. Tuberville spoke to several top naval officers in the hearing. They spoke about strategies to better enable submarine and shipbuilding companies, like Mobile's Austal, to give the Navy the best possible product.

The United States builds the best submarines in the world; but is woefully behind schedule on building those ships. According to a report by the General Accounting Office this backlog in planned ship construction is "jeopardizing the Navy's ability to protect the U.S. from growing maritime threats and competition," particularly from China which has the largest navy in the world and is building ships at a rate we cannot duplicate.

https://www.gao.gov/blog/u.s.-navy-shipbuilding-consistently-over-budget-and-delayed-despite-billions-invested-industry

"I haven't been in this business long, but I've noticed shortcomings of shipbuilding since I've been on this [Sub]committee and [the Senate] Armed Services Committee," said Sen. Tuberville. "We build components for submarines-the Columbia class and the Virginia class-at Austal in Mobile. Probably most of you know that. It's pretty new to us, but I've noticed recruiting-as the Senator was alluding to-workforce, I know Austal has gone out and gone through fast food joints and everything else trying to find welders and people that can actually work and understand it. So, it's an ongoing process."

"So, as we look at the constrained capacity in our primary build yards, it's really important that we recognize that broadening that shipbuilding industrial base-the shipbuilding base beyond those two yards-is really the opportunity we need to be able to get and bring more folks to bear, bring different geographical regions to bear, and alleviate the strain on our primary yards," said Admiral Weeks. "And that will then allow them to do most efficiently what only they can do, which is things like outfitting, final assembly, and testing."

"So, we've seen an increase in production by doing this?" Tuberville asked.

"Yes, Sir. So, [...] anytime you put something new in a new facility that has not done that kind of work before, you expect that it's going to take a little bit of time to come up to speed, and that's exactly what's happening," Admiral Weeks replied. "But we are now, especially with Austal, so we've been on the path long enough now that we're starting to see the improvement that we expected. And both Admiral Rucker and I have been down to Austal multiple times partnering with both electric boat and the company there to make sure that they're on track to get where they need to be and, you know, they're doing well. Yes, Sir."

"Yeah. You think it'll help us catch up with the Chinese and their expansion of their submarines?" said Tuberville. "They're really flying past us. You think it's gonna be possible for this type of procedure to really help catch the Chinese?"

"Yes, Sir. I think it's absolutely critical that we expand our industrial base," said Admiral Weeks. "That is the only way we're gonna be able to compete. Yes, Sir."

"Admiral Rucker, what can the Navy and Congress do to accelerate outsourcing of module production?" Tuberville asked.

"Sir. I agree with everything Admiral Weeks said and the importance of outsourcing," answered Admiral Rucker. "Where we stand today, we have a goal by 2026 to get up to about 7,000,000 man-hours annually. That's equivalent of a Surface Ship Destroyer from our submarine yards out to the industrial base. As of end of 2024, we were about 3,000,000 [man-]hours. So, we're about halfway there."

"As Admiral Weeks said, we've been down to Austal," Admiral Rucker continued. "They've already delivered the first two large sub modules for Virginia class. They've got three more they're working [on] right now. The next one is going to be delivered this summer and then they keep on going. We need that strategic outsourcing to increase the overall capability and capacity for large structural fabrication, machining, [and] electrical."

"I think it's a critical part of our strategy to, as you say, to improve our pace of shipbuilding," said Admiral Moton. "I would note in the example of Austal, the aircraft elevators for CVN-80 and [CVN-]81 are both being built there as well. So, we've done that closer to Hampton Roads. Outsourcing has been an important part of Newport's new shipbuilding strategy to improve on aircraft carrier production."

"Now, visiting Austal, I noticed that, especially in submarines, nickel is a huge part, a very important part of submarines. And our supply chain there-any of the three of you, can you give an update on-do we have a better supply of nickel now?" Tuberville asked "Is it getting worse? Because don't have a lot of nickel in our country. Anybody want to answer it."

"Nickel, as you as you pointed out, Sir, is among the fundamental metals and alloys that we're continuing to work with OSD-Office of the Secretary of Defense to take a very careful look at and address," said Mr. Serman. "As you pointed out, we do continue to have both price fluctuations, which are of course related to supply, but committed to addressing those, Sir."

"Mr. Serman, the Navy cand CapZone's investments put $150 million each to buy land from Alabama's shipyard just recently, which is just next to Austal. Can you describe how this partnership came about and what [are] your plans for growing the industrial base using this land? Do you know anything about this?" Tuberville asked.

"So, we talked about outsourcing. And we understand, as Admiral Rucker and Admiral Weeks pointed out, we're about 3,000,000 [man-]hours into that outsourcing that we have to do annually," answered Serman. "We have to get to 7,000,000. [...] As an enterprise, we need additional space. We need additional workforce. We need additional production. We've got a very promising work started at Austal. We've got work started at BAE in Jacksonville. We've got work started at Rhoads [Industries] in Philadelphia, as well, that are really going to bring us into battery. But more land is needed, more [...] waterfront land, that facility that is Alabama Shipyard, actually 60 acres of that 355 acres there will remain as in battery maintaining our Military Sealift Command. Much of the rest of that, our intention in an opportunity zone, public-private partnership is to work to bring that land into battery. Much like it was, that exact same land was in battery building liberty ships and tankers during World War II, is to bring that in battery for supply chain activities, for submarine modules, and most importantly-from my perspective-advanced manufacturing. That will fundamentally teach us across the entire industrial base, the entire nation, how to build ships, unmanned vehicles and other kinds of naval activities better and more efficiently."

Private companies play a key role in building and repairing Navy ships. But for decades, these companies haven't met the Navy's goals for increasing the size of its fleet. This contributes to the Navy's shipbuilding programs being consistently over budget and behind schedule. Estimated delays for some ships are as much as 3 years.

The GAO report shows that shipbuilding issues are responsible for delaying delivery of new Virginia and Columbus class submarines months and even years. This makes it difficult to grow the fleet because by the time a long delayed submarine is built the Los Angeles and Ohio class submarines are aging out of the fleet faster than the new boats are being built.

The GAO reports that shipbuilders face two key challenges in meeting the Navy's goals:

First, some shipyards lack the physical space needed to complete the volume of work the Navy wants in the time it wants (why the Navy is buying land next to Austal). Some shipyards also have aging infrastructure that can delay efforts.

Second, shipbuilders don't have enough workers to meet the Navy's demands. These companies struggle to recruit and retain staff, especially those with the skills needed to do the work.

The GAO said that the Navy is aware of these challenges, but it consistently plans to build more ships for the fleet than the private shipbuilders have been able to achieve. The Navy isn't considering shipbuilders' capacity in its plans for growing and maintaining its fleet.