Can America build ships fast enough? episode artwork

EPISODE · May 8, 2026 · 10 MIN

Can America build ships fast enough?

from Mission Critical Podcast · host Ryan Robertson

China built more ships in the last year than the entire U.S. industrial base produced in decades — and U.S. shipbuilders are racing to close the gap.In this episode of Mission Critical, host Ryan Robertson travels to the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space Expo to examine the future of American naval power and a growing solution called Distributed Shipbuilding — a strategy designed to expand production beyond traditional shipyards and rebuild the U.S. maritime industrial base.Major defense companies including HII, Trident Maritime Systems, and Fairbanks Morse Defense explain how spreading ship construction across the country could accelerate delivery of aircraft carriers, submarines, destroyers, and amphibious warships.As China rapidly expands its naval fleet, U.S. industry leaders say solving workforce shortages, supply chain challenges, and production bottlenecks is now a national security priority.In this episode:Why China’s shipbuilding capacity alarms U.S. defense plannersWhat “Distributed Shipbuilding” actually meansHow modular construction could transform naval productionLessons from World War II industrial mobilizationWhy shipyards may become final assembly facilitiesThe race to rebuild America’s maritime industrial baseFeaturing interviews with:Kari Wilkinson, President, Newport News ShipbuildingJoe Mullen, CEO, Trident Maritime SystemsGeorge Whittier, CEO, Fairbanks Morse DefenseIf you follow naval warfare, defense industry news, military technology, or geopolitics — this episode breaks down one of the most important industrial challenges facing the United States today.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 8, 2026

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China built more ships in the last year than the entire U.S. industrial base produced in decades — and U.S. shipbuilders are racing to close the gap. In this episode of Mission Critical, host Ryan Robertson travels to the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space Expo to examine the future of American naval power and a growing solution called Distributed Shipbuilding — a strategy designed to expand production beyond traditional shipyards and rebuild the U.S. maritime industrial base. Major defense companie...

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Can America build ships fast enough?

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