Q&A · 1:06:41-1:07:18

Can modern civilian shipyards switch to warship production?

Wartime mobilisation would require designs adapted to specialised civilian yards, including facilities built around different materials.

Question

Could civilian shipyards be converted quickly to warship production in a major conflict?

Short answer

Designs would need to be adapted to the available yards, including their specialisation in materials such as fibreglass.

Notes

Modern shipyards are more specialised than those used in earlier wartime mobilisation. Fibreglass construction provides an example of facilities that cannot simply be assumed suitable for steel warships. The proposed response is to adapt designs to the yards available. That requires design development as well as an order to increase output.