At the Navy League’s annual Sea-Air-Space conference in National Harbor, Md., Vice Adm. Frank Morley discussed the Navy’s efforts to strengthen the weapons-industrial base in preparation for larger spending in shipbuilding and submarine sectors. The Navy is aiming to enhance supply chains and increase delivery quantities in these areas, which face challenges like a lack of output at key suppliers.
The Navy has been increasing weapons spending, with the fiscal 2024 budget request including $6.9 billion for missiles and torpedoes, $380 million to address supply chain bottlenecks, and requests for multiyear procurement contracts for weapons. By pairing public and private dollars effectively and investing in private companies and government labs, the Navy aims to improve the final weapons production lines.
The Navy has been learning how to analyze the health of the supply base and identify lower-tier vendors that could benefit from one-time payments to expand their output. By investing in facilities, hiring more workers, and adopting advanced manufacturing processes, the Navy expects to see incremental gains that will eventually have a significant impact on weapons production.
James Geurts stressed the importance of measuring progress to show that the billions of dollars in spending are producing results. Demonstrating positive outcomes will be crucial in persuading lawmakers to continue funding these efforts. Ultimately, the goal is to use the lessons learned from improving the weapons-industrial base to enhance shipbuilding and submarine sectors, with a focus on incremental progress and long-term impact.
