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US Navy shipbuilding branded “too slow” and “too expensive” by acquisition chief

12th March 2025 - 19:35 GMT | by Tony Fyler in Swansea

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An artist’s impression of a Constellation-class frigate. (Image: US DoD)

Several of the US Navy’s leading programmes, including the Constellation-class frigate and the Virginia-class submarine, are significantly behind schedule.

The US’s naval shipbuilding regimen has been branded as both too slow and too expensive by Brett Seidle, the new acting acquisition chief of the US Navy (USN).

Seidle made the charges in prepared and written remarks to the House Armed Services seapower panel. They included that ship deliveries were between one-to-four years late and that the later they become the more costs spiral, often faster than the rate of inflation.

To balance out his observations, Seidle acknowledged: “These challenges are shared across the nuclear and conventional shipbuilding communities, with both navy and industry sharing responsibility.”

The idea of increasing delays and spiralling costs

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