U.S. Navy warship production is in its worst state in years. What's behind it?

The labor shortage is one of the myriad challenges that have led to backlogs in ship production and maintenance at a time when the Navy faces expanding global threats. The Navy is trying to help shipyards ensure that once new workers are trained and hired, they stick around in a tight labor market. Enhancements in Mississippi include more than a million square feet of covered work area, cooldown and hydration stations, and a second dining area with a Chick-fil-A. Huntington Ingalls also collaborated with the Navy and the city of Newport News, Virginia, to build a new parking garage for workers and sailors. The Navy chose a ship design already in use by navies in France and Italy instead of starting from scratch. The idea was that 15% of the vessel would be updated to meet U.S. Navy specifications, while 85% would remain unchanged, reducing costs and speeding construction. Complicating matters further is something out of the Navy's control: the changing nature of global threats. Throughout its history, the Navy has had to adapt to varying perils, whether it be the Cold War of past decades or current threats including war in the Middle East, growing competition from Chinese and Russian navies, piracy off the coast of Somalia and persistent attacks on commercial ships by Houthi rebels in Yemen.