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Senate panel presses Navy on plunging shipbuilding funding, industrial base recovery
Summary
Senators pressed Navy leaders about a large drop in the FY2026 shipbuilding request, the omission of destroyer and Virginia‑class submarine procurements, and steps to rebuild the maritime industrial base and workforce.
Senate Armed Services Committee members on Monday criticized the Navy’s FY2026 shipbuilding request and pressed senior Navy leaders for a plan to restore production, industrial capacity and workforce skills.
The matter was central to opening remarks by Chairman Roger Wicker, who said he was “deeply disappointed with the administration's fiscal year 20 26 budget request for the Navy,” and highlighted a fall in the shipbuilding account from $37,000,000,000 last year to $20,800,000,000 in the current proposal. He warned the request “does not include the procurement of a new destroyer” and noted the omission of Virginia‑class submarine buys.
Why it matters: Committee members said predictable, base budget funding is required to sustain shipyard workloads, keep skilled trades employed and meet long‑term fleet goals cited in law. Members tied procurement planning to industrial recovery programs and multiyear purchases that underpin yard hiring and equipment investments.
Most urgent facts: Navy witnesses acknowledged the…
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