“The MIB Program was created at a pivotal moment: America’s shipbuilding and repair capacity had dropped to one third of its size three decades ago, just as the Navy began its most comprehensive fleet expansion since the end of the Cold War,” said Matthew Sermon, Direct Reporting Program Manager for the MIB Program. “Our focus is on ensuring the Navy has the workforce, suppliers, and manufacturing technology needed to build and sustain the fleet our nation needs.”

The Navy’s submarine industrial base must be capable of delivering one Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine and two Virginia-class attack submarines every year by 2028 while simultaneously constructing more than ten classes of surface ships, including carriers, destroyers, amphibious warships, and support vessels. Meeting that schedule, while maintaining the current fleet, requires a laser focus on industrial base capacity and workforce growth.

Modernizing Naval Production

In its first year, the MIB Program worked across government and industry partners to deliver advanced manufacturing improvements that have quickly transitioned from development to employment across the submarine and surface fleet.

At Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the Navy completed its first Submarine Safety (SUBSAFE) certified Cold Spray Repair on USS Virginia (SSN 774), restoring the port side dive plane operating rod. This innovative repair enabled the submarine to avoid dry dock maintenance, saving 30 to 45 days, while demonstrating advanced manufacturing’s direct impact on fleet availability.

The program also achieved a major procurement milestone when USS Sampson (DDG 102) successfully operated with three additively manufactured chilled water valves that replaced legacy parts. Produced by Marotta Controls, these components became the first additive parts to receive official manufacturer part numbers and National Stock Numbers, a significant step toward making advanced manufacturing standard Navy practice.

To expand deployed additive manufacturing capability across the fleet, the Navy executed its first 11 program-funded 3D printer installations aboard ships and at overseas facilities, including USS Bainbridge (DDG 96), USS Gravely (DDG 107), USS Jefferson City (SSN 759), USS Charlotte (SSN 766), USS Mississippi (SSN 782), and others. These installations bring additive manufacturing directly to deployed forces, enabling onboard repair, and reducing delivery times for critical parts, improving warfighting readiness worldwide.

The program also advanced component production, from the Navy’s first additively manufactured copper-nickel ship service ball valves using Wire Arc technology to the installation of 10 additively manufactured diffusers on USS Nevada (SSBN 733), the first significant Navy procurement of metal additive parts. Together, these milestones show the breadth of applications now moving from development to fleet use.

“Every repair or part we produce through advanced manufacturing not only strengthens our fleet but also builds confidence in a more resilient and scalable industrial base,” said Larissa Smith, Director of Advanced Manufacturing for the MIB Program. “These advances show that the Navy can integrate new technologies while supporting the men and women who keep our ships mission-ready.”

Expanding America's Shipbuilding Foundation

Strengthening the supplier network is another core focus of the MIB Program, with investments expanding just as quickly as advanced manufacturing capabilities.

On the Gulf Coast, the Navy launched a major public-private collaboration that is transforming the Alabama Shipyard in Mobile.  Once a facility that produced more than 120 ships during World War II, it is now being redeveloped into a state-of-the-art hub for submarine, ship, and component production and a model for future factory operations that will create thousands of new jobs.

In Mobile, Austal USA also broke ground on a purpose-built submarine modular manufacturing facility that will expand capacity for the Columbia and Virginia-class programs. Integrated with advanced digital production tools, the facility will be able to execute nearly 2 million hours of fabrication and outfitting annually.

The program also expanded domestic large casting capacity, with a $30 million Navy investment to qualify PRL Inc. to produce steel inscribed sphere castings for submarines. This work complements existing production and helps reduce bottlenecks that have constrained shipbuilding schedules.

“Since Fiscal Year 2018, the Navy has funded nearly 800 projects across 39 states to enhance the capacity and capability of key maritime industrial base suppliers,” said Katherine Moran, Director, Supply Chain for the MIB Program. “Capacity has increased by more than 2.5 times since then, giving the Navy and industry the tools they need to meet ambitious production schedules.”

Supplier improvements also extended beyond shipbuilding. A $1 million investment at L3 Harris in Salt Lake City increased torpedo production capacity by 400 percent and improved on-time delivery by 46 percent, directly strengthening fleet combat readiness.

Building America's Maritime Workforce

The MIB Program's workforce initiatives achieved some of the most visible and lasting successes in the program's first year. National Signing Day celebrated 5,775 new hires across more than 450 participating employers, with the program helping place more than 10,000 people in maritime industrial base jobs since its inception. Participation is expected to grow to 600 employers in the next year.

In Danville, Virginia, the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing program marked a major milestone with its 1,000th graduate. Supported by the opening of the new Maritime Training Center in January, ATDM can now train 1,000 students annually across five high-demand tracks: welding, CNC machining, additive manufacturing, quality assurance, and nondestructive testing. This expanded capacity delivers skilled workers directly to shipyards and suppliers facing urgent workforce shortages.

“We're not just filling jobs – we're rebuilding America's maritime manufacturing capability and opening meaningful careers for the next generation,” said Erica Logan, Director of Workforce Development for the MIB Program. “Every graduate is another step toward maintaining our nation's maritime leadership.”

Training capacity also expanded across New England, Hampton Roads, New York, California, the Gulf Coast, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, creating a nationwide pipeline of skilled maritime workers. Educational programming designed to expose students to maritime career pathways has reached millions of K-12 students through summer camps, curriculum, online lessons and classroom activities that will build a robust funnel of future workforce.

This progress lays the foundation for meeting a much larger challenge: the maritime industry must hire about 250,000 new skilled workers over the next decade to meet projected shipbuilding and sustainment demands. From high school classrooms to training centers and shipyard floors, the MIB Program is building the workforce pipeline the Navy will depend on for decades to come.

A Unified Effort

While each mission area achieved measurable progress, the strength of the MIB Program lies in how they work together. Skilled workers are essential to operate advanced manufacturing equipment. Supplier investments ensure parts arrive on time. Manufacturing breakthroughs are already reducing bottlenecks. Together, these efforts create an integrated strategy for revitalizing American shipbuilding.

The integration of advanced manufacturing, supplier development, and workforce development is demonstrating that strategic investment and sustained collaboration can strengthen America’s defense manufacturing capabilities.

“As we scale up naval shipbuilding, the MIB Program ensures we have the skilled people, supplier network, and advanced manufacturing capabilities to meet the Navy’s goals,” Sermon said. “This type of focused collaboration between the Navy, industry, and educational institutions is essential to keeping America at the forefront of maritime defense.”

As the program begins its second year, its mission remains clear: strengthen the maritime industrial base so the Navy can build and sustain the fleet it needs to defend the nation.