NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – 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. Based on the latest estimates from the Navy, Newport News and Electric Boat, industry is delivering 1.2 Virginia-class attack boats a year and won’t reach the two-boat-per-year cadence until 2028. 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 … Continue reading Submarine Supply Chain Largest Barrier to Improving Virginia Attack Sub Schedule, Says Boykin