The lawmakers framed the request as part of a broader effort to rebuild U.S. shipbuilding capacity and reduce pressure on the nation\u2019s largest naval shipyards, which have faced persistent schedule delays and cost growth in recent years. They pointed to Government Accountability Office findings<\/a> that link delivery challenges to workforce shortages, infrastructure constraints, supply chain issues, and yards operating near capacity.<\/p>\n \u201cWe write to encourage the Department of War to give deliberate and sustained consideration to small and mid-sized domestic shipyards, including those in South Louisiana, when awarding shipbuilding, repair, modernization, and sustainment contracts, as the Department works to restore America\u2019s shipbuilding capacity and strengthen the nation\u2019s defense industrial base,\u201d the lawmakers wrote.<\/p>\n According to the delegation, concentrating too much work among a small number of prime contractors has created systemic risk for Navy programs. Expanding opportunities for qualified small and mid-sized yards, they argue, would help ease production bottlenecks, improve schedule reliability, and strengthen overall fleet readiness.<\/p>\n The letter also aligns smaller yards with the Defense Department\u2019s stated push for faster, more flexible acquisition. Lawmakers said many Louisiana yards already operate in competitive commercial markets that demand rapid execution, cost control, and the ability to integrate new technology.<\/p>\n \u201cLouisiana\u2019s small and mid-sized shipyards already operate in a manner consistent with the Department\u2019s stated aim to prioritize speed, innovation, and a \u2018commercial-first\u2019 mindset in defense acquisition,\u201d they wrote. \u201cThese yards compete daily in fast-moving commercial markets, where success depends on rapid execution, continuous innovation, and disciplined cost control. That operating model enables them to adapt quickly to evolving requirements, integrate new technologies, and deliver complex vessels at pace\u2014capabilities that directly support the Department\u2019s effort to modernize procurement and strengthen the defense industrial base.\u201d<\/p>\n Workforce development was another key theme. The delegation highlighted South Louisiana\u2019s long-established base of skilled maritime labor, including welders, fitters, engineers, electricians, and other trades. Stable, long-term federal contracts, they wrote, would help sustain and grow that workforce while preserving regional shipbuilding capacity for future defense needs.<\/p>\n Beyond geographic inclusion, the lawmakers urged structural changes to how contracts are packaged and awarded, with an eye toward lowering barriers for smaller builders.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the Department evaluates current and future procurement strategies, we respectfully urge consideration of approaches that broaden participation across the industrial base, including by structuring solicitations to allow capable small and mid-sized yards to compete on a level playing field, reducing unnecessary barriers to entry and bureaucratic red tape, and awarding contracts that provide the stable, long-term demand signals necessary for industry to invest and expand,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n The letter concludes that restoring U.S. shipbuilding strength will require more than increasing output at a handful of large facilities. Instead, the delegation argues, the industrial base must be broadened to add depth, flexibility, and resilience across a wider network of American shipyards.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" … the Department of War, awards shipbuilding<\/span>, repair, modernization, and sustainment … in South Louisiana, when awarding shipbuilding<\/span>, repair, modernization, and sustainment … that workforce while preserving regional shipbuilding<\/span> capacity for future defense …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-75279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75279","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75279"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75279\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}