What about public shipyards?

• Author: Silverman, Steven
• Position: READERS' FORUM - Letter to the editor

* The February article "Navy's Shipbuilding Strategy Remains Under Fire" made some exceLlent points. However, it did not mention how U.S. naval shipyards owned by the Navy could help address current problems. In the many articles that I have read regarding the problems of naval shipbuilding, increasing the size of the fleet, cost overruns, inadequate ship capabilities; the one component that is lacking are the accomplishments of government owned shipyards. The construction of naval ships at government owned naval shipyards was terminated when the USS Blue Ridge's construction was completed at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in 1970. The Navy is being held hostage to contractors demanding and getting excessive fees and...