VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) — The private shipbuilding and ship repair industries in Hampton Roads have had a tough time in recent years. They have gone through numerous rounds of layoffs, as the Navy grappled with sequestration and continuing resolutions.
But now, as the Navy builds towards a 355-ship fleet, more stability and reliability could be in the offing, according to U.S. Fleet Forces Command's top admiral.
"We are currently examining how we can give our industrial base partners more predictability in workloads so that they can more confidently and economically scale themselves for that demand," said Admiral Christopher Grady.
Speaking before the Hampton Roads Chamber, Grady suggested the Navy could implement multi-year ship maintenance contracts.
It is vital to keep the ships combat-ready now, and into the future because 75 percent of today's ships will still be fighting in 2030, according to Grady.
"We must sustain what we have now to defend our interests in the future," said Grady, who expressed confidence the Navy will find a way to do just that.
"Having credible, combat-ready lethal forces and knowing how to use it, enable your Navy to defend America's assets and the world. If deterrence ails, we must be able to fight and win," he said. "And I would tell you, we are."