Page 33: of Marine News Magazine (September 2025)

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Colonna’s Shipyard ? rm a US supply chain is available and sustainable – or not. All of us that have been involved with activations and

Transcom understand the crisis of having equipment that cannot be supported. It is our latest experience with com- mercial conversion, that the supply chain is near non-exis- tent if foreign supply is not considered. This is the data we need to feed the manufacturing base with the U.S. build requirement in new construction.

The upgrades continue with cabin and hotel capability to attract seafarers. Navigation and machinery upgrades that con- sider crew compliment automation and autonomy as we work through our labor issues. Dual use commercial/military opera- tions during the transition period can work towards operating the vessels rather than idling them to con? rm modi? cations.

As those speci? cations and modi? cations are developed develop RFPs to complete the shipyard activity – develop the repair facilities to work to identify the problems the in- dustry is dealing with. These activities will be as near “new construction” as you can get at this time and at costs well below replacement tonnage.

Let the Washington “decision makers” understand that we may have fallen behind in new construction. However, due to our history of construction costs, no maritime nation has the experience we do in conversion, life extension and extended maintenance. We can restart Maritime Dominance with a dedicated repair program working to rebuild a manufactur- ing infrastructure supporting the MarAd logistics platform.

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