Mon Sep 23 21:22:37 UTC 2024: ## U.S. Navy Partners with Private Sector to Boost Submarine Production

**Mobile, Alabama** – The U.S. Navy has announced a groundbreaking public-private partnership aimed at revitalizing the nation’s submarine industrial base and bolstering American maritime dominance. The initiative involves a significant investment by the United Submarine Alliance Qualified Opportunity Fund (USA Fund), a private investment firm, in the recently acquired Alabama Shipyard in Mobile.

The shipyard, now renamed Mobile Naval Yard, will undergo substantial modernization to support the production of both Columbia and Virginia Class nuclear submarines. This partnership is a key component of Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro’s Maritime Statecraft program, designed to rebuild the submarine manufacturing base, which has shrunk to a third of its capacity over the last 30 years.

“This announcement answers my call for investment into small-to-medium size shipyards, both active and dormant, that were previously the backbone of our Nation’s maritime power,” said Secretary Del Toro.

Al Puchala, CEO of CapZone Impact Investments LLC, the investment management firm behind the USA Fund, highlights the initiative as a model for how public-private partnerships can address critical infrastructure needs in the defense and national security sectors.

The revitalized Mobile Naval Yard, with its three full-service piers and five deep-water berths, will play a crucial role in nearly doubling submarine production, requiring an additional 3.5 to 4.5 million submarine module production and outfitting hours annually.

In a related development, Austal USA has secured a $450 million contract to expand its own production capacity in Mobile, located adjacent to the Mobile Naval Yard site. This expansion will create approximately 1,000 new jobs at Austal USA and enable the fabrication, outfitting, and transportation of submarine components.

The initiative signifies a renewed focus on bolstering American maritime power through strategic public-private partnerships, ensuring the Navy’s ability to maintain its submarine fleet and safeguard national security.

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