The Navy’s Shipbuilding Problem: Why Faster Contracts Won’t Fix a Broken Process

The U.S. Navy wants to build more ships, deliver them faster and strengthen its industrial base. But achieving those goals requires more than new contracts and construction strategies. It demands a fundamental change in how the service plans, designs and executes its shipbuilding programs.

Shelby Oakley, director of contracting and national security acquisitions at the Government Accountability Office (GAO), says the Navy is taking a closer look at its longstanding acquisition practices after years of delays and billions of dollars in cost overruns.

During an interview on Fed Gov Today, Oakley examines the Navy’s evolving shipbuilding strategy, the risks associated with accelerating production and the importance of building ships that deliver meaningful capabilities to sailors.