BLOOMFIELD, Ind. - Prometheus Energetics has broken ground on a new solid rocket motor manufacturing campus in southwestern Indiana, launching construction of a large-scale facility aimed at expanding domestic production of energetics for U.S. defense programs.

The company is a joint venture between Kratos Defense & Security Solutions and Israel's RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. It will serve as the anchor tenant at the National Security Industrial Hub developed by the American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation in Bloomfield.

The planned campus will span roughly 600 acres and is designed to support four solid rocket motor production lines. Company officials have outlined a target capacity of up to 800 tons of energetics production annually, with infrastructure intended to allow for future expansion. The project includes investment in property, facilities, equipment, workforce development and the transfer and certification of RAFAEL manufacturing processes for use in the United States.

Kratos and RAFAEL have committed up to $175 million in capital to establish the venture and construct the campus. Following completion of construction and regulatory certification, initial solid rocket motor production is projected to begin in 2027.

The facility is intended to address longstanding constraints in the U.S. solid rocket motor supply chain. Demand for rocket propulsion and energetics has increased in recent years as the Pentagon and allied nations replenish munitions inventories and expand missile procurement programs. Industry analysts and defense officials have identified limited domestic production capacity and reliance on a small number of suppliers as ongoing risks to program schedules and surge readiness.

By establishing additional U.S.-based manufacturing capacity, the Prometheus project seeks to add redundancy and scale to a sector viewed as critical to missile production, air and missile defense systems, and long-range strike capabilities. The expansion reflects broader federal and industry efforts to rebuild depth in the defense industrial base and reduce vulnerabilities in key munitions supply chains.

Source: Forecast International
Associated URL: https://www.prometheusenergetics.com/

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Earlier this week, the United Kingdom's Institute for International and Strategic Studies (IISS) think tank issued a landmark report concluding that between 2021 and 2025, China launched, in both number and tonnage, more nuclear submarines than the United States. This assessment marks the first-ever instance of Beijing outpacing the U.S. in the construction of these advanced submarines, after years of indication that Chinese shipbuilding, of both surface and subsurface platforms, was moving with greater efficiency than that of the U.S.

According to IISS' analysis, between 2021 and 2025, China launched 10 nuclear submarines totaling 79,000 tonnes, while the U.S. launched only 7 hulls displacing 55,000 tonnes in comparison. China's launches during this period primarily constitute Project 093B (Shang III) attack submarines (SSNs) and Project 094 (Jin) ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). The U.S. exclusively launched Virginia-class SSNs during the 2021-2025 window.

While this report should be a warning to decisionmakers in both government and industry in the West, there are several contextual factors to consider before sounding the alarm.

China's superior productive capacity has not come out of nowhere; Western intelligence and media have reported consistently on China's expansion of nuclear submarine construction facilities. Bohai Shipyard, China's only major nuclear submarine construction facilitity was massively expanded, with entire sections rebuilt over the past two decades, reflecting Beijing's goal of significantly enhanced production of these submarines. Despite its expansion, Bohai remains, for the moment, China's only dedicated nuclear submarine yard, whereas the U.S., despite backlogs and delays, operates two, in Groton, Conn., and Newport News, Va. These facilities are, however, smaller in size than the expanded Bohai facility.

Similarly, while China is edging ahead in the growth of nuclear submarine fleets, it is starting very much from behind. At the moment, China operates an estimated 16 nuclear submarines, including some aged units kept in reserve and at least one experimental platform not designed for actual deployment. While the increasing launch rate indicates a rapidly growing Chinese fleet, the U.S. currently operates 68 nuclear submarines, more than four times the number deployed by China.

Further considered is the quality difference between Chinese and U.S. submarines. China is currently finishing the production run of its Project 093B SSNs and 094 SSBNs, all of which are considered a generation or two behind the oldest active U.S. nuclear submarines. While Beijing plans to introduce newer Project 095 Sui SSNs and 096 Tang SSBNs in the coming decade, even these vessels are expected to lag behind the current generation of U.S. Virginia-class SSNs and Ohio-class SSBNs. China is moving faster, but they are doing so to close a large technical gap.

It is also worth noting that while China's nuclear submarine production booms, it reflects Beijing's production of both SSN and SSBN designs, whereas the U.S. is currently only producing Virginia-class SSNs. The U.S. will not begin launching new SSBN units until the planned Columbia class finishes development, with a launch expected around 2028, and full-rate production not likely until 2031 at the earliest.

China's growing nuclear-powered submarine fleet is an important development for the country, however, its surpassing of the U.S. in construction rate is not necessarily a sign of true naval dominance. China is still working to overcome a major deficit in technical quality as well as a massive volume difference, underpinned by a lack of institutional experience in the operation of these sophisticated platforms. While the incoming generation of Chinese nuclear boats may pose a more realistic challenge to U.S. naval interests, the IISS' recent report should not be taken to indicate that China is overtaking the U.S. as the world's foremost undersea power. The trend certainly shows Beijing's growing productive and undersea capabilities, however in this arena, quantity does not necessarily equal quality.

Source: Forecast International
Author: Tom Freebairn, Naval Analyst 

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration released "America’s Maritime Action Plan" last week, a 44-page blueprint designed to overhaul the nation’s commercial shipbuilding and maritime capabilities. The plan, which follows an executive order signed last April, focuses on three primary pillars: strengthening domestic shipbuilding, expanding the merchant mariner workforce, and implementing regulatory reforms to prioritize U.S.-built and U.S.-flagged vessels. White House officials described the maritime sector as a "crucial industry" for national security, but fewer than 1 percent of new commercial ships are currently built in the United States.

A central component of the strategy involves significant investments in infrastructure and military acquisition. The plan calls for upgrades to commercial and public shipyards, including the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and the recapitalization of government-owned sealift vessels. Key milestones highlighted by officials include new contracts with Finland to construct 11 polar icebreakers for the Coast Guard, a move intended to bolster the Arctic fleet. Furthermore, the administration proposed creating a Maritime Security Trust Fund and "Maritime Prosperity Zones" to facilitate domestic and allied investment.

To address labor shortages and international competition, the administration aims to modernize the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and establish a "Military to Mariner" program to transition veterans into the industry. The plan also introduces a "Land Port Maintenance Tax" and potential fees on foreign-built vessels to "level the playing field" for domestic ports. While some reforms can be enacted via agency action, the White House acknowledged that several initiatives will require congressional approval and noted that funding requests will be included in the forthcoming Fiscal Year 2027 budget.

Source: USNI
Associated URL: https://news.usni.org/2026/02/13/trump-administration-details-make-shipbuilding-great-again-effort-in-new-action-plan