Availability of parts, not people, is the largest barrier right now to catch up with the delays in constructing Virginia-class nuclear attack boats, company officials at submarine builder Newport News Shipbuilding told USNI News. While work stoppages and worker attrition due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been cited as reasons for the delay in submarine production, availability of parts and materials has become the primary reason for delays, Newport News president Jennifer Boykin told USNI News on Friday. Workforce and supply chain concerns have prompted the Navy, HII and General Dynamics Electric Boat to retool the schedule for the Block V Virginia-class. Compounding the slip in the program schedule, the Navy is almost one year late in issuing advanced procurement contracts for the next two Virginia-class Block V attack boats. The impasse is over an insurance dispute between the submarine shipbuilders in the event of an accident occurring either during construction or operations aboard attack boats that field Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles.
Submarine Supply Chain Largest Barrier to Improving Virginia Attack Sub Schedule, Says Boykin