The military news site The Zone War said that a group of lawmakers from the Democratic and Republican parties have proposed the USSHIPS Shipbuilding Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security (SHIPS) Act.
The law promises to restore the US military-civilian maritime industry, which is already relatively outdated compared to many developed countries in the world. According to a spokesperson for Senator Kelly, the law is expected to be approved with a budget of $18.1 billion over 10 years and the fund will come from various taxes.
Mr. Sal Mercogliano, a former crew member of the Military and Maritime Transport Command (MSC) and associate professor of history at the University of Campbell, said that this is the most important maritime reform in 50 years. The last time the United States made a serious investment in the maritime industry was in 1970, when it passed the Merchants' Maritime Act.
The bill will promote a strategy of combining civil and military shipbuilding, allowing businesses that require the Navy or Coast Guard to apply their technology in designing, repairing or building ships.
Consulting firm McKinsey and Co. This would help develop output quickly, taking advantage of highly skilled external human resources in the context of the US Navy's fleet becoming increasingly "old" while demand for the number of ships increased.
The bill also includes improving the infrastructure of shipbuilders, defense shipbuilding industrial facilities and seaport infrastructure. In addition, small shipbuilders will be provided with $100 million per year (from 2025 to 2034) and a loan fund will be established to support the re-registry of ships or conversion from civilian to military ships.
In particular, the bill requires strategic development for the Navy's ability to "rearms at sea", an important ability in modern warfare. This helps the US Navy maintain continuous combat capability without having to depend on offshore repair facilities.
According to The War Zone, factories that can support the maintenance of US mainline military ships are mostly old and in limited quantity, causing serious delays in maintenance and significantly reducing the combat strength of the Navy.
SHIPS has also offered a series of financial incentives, including a 25% tax break for any investment in the construction of military and civilian ships to expand the US industrial base.
