The U.S. Navy's shipbuilding is in "a terrible state" according to a naval analyst who's been watching our national shipwreck unfold for 25 years. Things are so bad that we're lagging behind China in the number of warships.
(In case Kamala wins, warships are big metal floating things with guns on them.)
But not to worry! We're, like, totally diverse.
One of the problems behind this fiasco is a widespread labor shortage, with the future of American naval power resting on people like Lucas Andreini, a 25-year-old former garbage truck parts maker. He is one of the many young workers at Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Wisconsin, a shipyard that is supposed to be cranking out at least six new guided-missile frigates.
But according to naval analyst Eric Labs, they only have enough workers to deliver one a year...
Workers are retiring faster than you can say "diversity," taking decades of experience with them, leaving shipyards scrambling to train a new generation of ship builders. Add in the Navy's apparent obsession with last-minute changes (the naval equivalent of "actually, can I get it with a red interior?"), entire projects are being derailed, costs are ballooning, and ships are taking years longer to build.
With the U.S. Navy facing threats from every corner of the globe — China, Russia, Middle Eastern conflicts, pirates — they're having to paddle into battle with a shrinking number of ships, a disjointed plan, and a bunch of bureaucrats scratching their heads.
Maybe we should just buy warships on Temu?
Follow Ian on Substack or X (@ighaworth).
P.S. Now check out our latest video 👇
