Renewing Shipbuilding Will Require a Culture Change
There are pockets of brilliance in U.S. shipbuilding. Collective will is needed to solve the systemic issues that hold back the broader enterprise.
By Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Charles W. Bowen (Retired)
June 2025 Proceedings Vol. 151/6/1,468
The U.S. naval shipbuilding crisis imperils national security and undercuts economic vitality. But it is not a new problem—Mike Petters wrote a Proceedings article almost 20 years ago titled “American Shipbuilding: An Industry in Crisis.” The problem persists, and confronting it is more important than ever.
I have witnessed the evolution of the U.S. shipbuilding industry throughout my career, first as the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, and now as an employee of Bollinger Shipyards. I have seen the factors that play into the industry’s current slump, and I have also seen success stories that could help model its recovery. Solutions to renew U.S. shipbuilding will rely on the combined dedication of lawmakers and industry partners.
A Historical Perspective
History shows what is possible when a nation unites behind a common goal. During World War II, U.S. shipbuilders delivered more naval combatants than British, Japanese, and German builders combined. The effort started from a minimal industrial base; production had slowed to a trickle following World War I and during the Great Depression. The United States’ transformation into the “arsenal of democracy” proved that collective will can overcome substantial obstacles.1
It is not certain that the United States now could replicate the feat, but the need for immediate action is clear. The multifaceted challenges facing U.S. shipbuilding include workforce shortages, overly bureaucratic procurement processes, inconsistent funding, design instability, and a limited industrial base. These issues are interconnected, and addressing them requires a new collaborative approach.
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2025/june/renewing-shipbuilding-will-require-culture-change
