By Mamstock @Adobe Stock
Brent Sadler of 19fortyfive.com reports that the U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding capacity falls far behind China’s, prompting calls for urgent reform. Navy Secretary John Phelan has proposed a one-time “Naval Act” to use reconciliation funds for multi-year warship procurement, gaining economies of scale. Central to this plan is the Shipyard Accountability and Workforce Support (SAWS) mechanism, which would allow future procurement funds to be used now for critical infrastructure and workforce investments. Combined with deregulation and tax reform, these measures aim to revitalize the U.S. naval industrial base, improve delivery speed, and restore strategic shipbuilding capacity. Sadler writes:
The US Navy’s shipbuilding capacity critically lags behind China’s, necessitating urgent reforms beyond current approaches.
-Following Navy Secretary John Phelan’s recent testimony on the issue, proposed solutions include a large, one-time “Naval Act.”
-This act would use current reconciliation funds for multi-year warship procurement, achieving economies of scale. Crucially, implementing the Shipyard Accountability and Workforce Support (SAWS) contracting mechanism would allow future procurement funds to be used now for vital infrastructure and workforce investments.
-Combined with deregulation and tax reforms, these measures aim to revitalize the US naval industrial base and accelerate warship delivery. […]
Seven weeks into his job as Secretary of the Navy, John Phelan testified before Congress at a May 14 hearing. Top of the agenda: naval shipbuilding. The U.S. has been falling behind China for too long. For that to change, we need new contracting mechanisms to enable us to build more warships—and deliver them faster. […]
The ongoing debates over a potential $150 billion of additional defense spending in reconciliation is an opportunity for a one-time Naval Act procurement. This would realize savings via economies of scale evidenced in past naval block buys of upwards of 10 percent over typical procurement approaches. […]
Reviving naval shipbuilding requires accountability of underperformers while invigorating shipbuilders to accelerate delivery of warships. Key to achieving this is unleashing better capital decisions by shipbuilders that support a decades long naval shipbuilding program. SAWS is a tool that can begin that revival.
Read more here.
Revitalizing U.S. Shipbuilding to Counter Emerging Threats with Autonomous Technology
In February 2025, Justin Katz of Breaking Defense reported that Saronic announced plans to build Port Alpha, a state-of-the-art, next-generation shipyard designed to deliver new classes of medium and large autonomous ships at unprecedented speed and scale. The initiative focuses on expanding the maritime workforce, strengthening public-private partnerships, and accelerating innovation in naval defense. Port Alpha will be designed to rapidly produce autonomous vessels that bolster U.S. maritime superiority and counter evolving threats. Although a location and timeline have yet to be determined, Saronic leadership emphasized that workforce development will be central to the project’s success, with site selection made in close coordination with federal and state officials. Katz writes:
Off the back of a $600 million Series C funding round, Saronic, the Texas-based defense startup company, announced today it plans to build a “next-generation shipyard” focused on producing unmanned and autonomous vessels, dubbed “Port Alpha.” […]
“Port Alpha will reflect the apex of America’s shipbuilding past — generating new opportunities for the country’s shipbuilding workforce, forging public-private partnerships to accelerate growth, and bringing innovation and ingenuity to an essential industry,” said Dino Mavrookas, Saronic’s CEO. “We will bring these elements together with a single goal: to rapidly build a fleet of autonomous vessels in America that redefine maritime superiority and guarantees freedom of the seas for generations to come.”
Saronic in October unveiled plans to mass produce “hundreds” of its newest autonomous surface vessel, “Corsair,” citing the Pentagon’s need for expendable drones manufactured en masse. The company’s announcements largely align with the framework the Defense Department has projected for its Replicator initiative, but the company, like others that have made similar announcements, has been coy when asked about specific deals or discussions with the Pentagon. […]
Read more here.
