US Navy acting CNO cites growing support for maritime industrial base

BAE Systems upgraded its facilities in Florida, shown here, to improve naval work. Adm Kilby cited the importance of the facility in growing US interest in the maritime industrial base. (BAE Systems)

Nationally, there is growing support for the US maritime industrial base, according to Admiral James Kilby, acting chief of naval operations (CNO).

“We as a nation are waking up to the reality that a strong maritime industrial base is a matter of national security,” Adm Kilby said on 2 June during a speech at the new USD250 million shiplift and land level repair complex in Jacksonville, Florida.

The shiplift and land level repair complex will support the maintenance and repair of US Navy (USN) vessels based in Mayport, Florida, as well as commercial ships sailing into the Port of Jacksonville, BAE Systems noted in a 2 June release. With the capacity to lift ships displacing up to about 22,680 tonnes, the lift can accommodate multiple vessels for maintenance simultaneously ashore, according to BAE Systems.

“This shiplift and land level facility is contributing to the national movement that is making America safer and more secure,” Adm Kilby said. “It's a necessary element to forging a defence industrial base able to support, sustain, and generate our fleet.”

Adm Kilby noted recent developments that show national interest in the maritime industrial base and security operations: the creation of the White House Shipbuilding Office; the introduction of the Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security (SHIPS) for America Act of 2025 and the Fostering Reform and Government Efficiency in Defense (FORGED) Act; US Trade Representative's Section 301 Action on China's Targeting of the Maritime, Logistical, and Shipbuilding Sectors for Dominance; and bipartisan support in Congress for re-investing in US manufacturing and shipbuilding sectors.