Newly released photos show the United States is making progress on constructing a new dry dock at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to support its nuclear-powered submarine fleet in the Pacific Ocean amid a naval arms race with China.
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, located within Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, said on Wednesday that Dry Dock 5 was more than one-third complete. It will replace a dry dock built in 1942 and will be used to service Virginia-class attack submarines and larger surface ships.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Why It Matters
Facing China’s military threat, particularly its fast-growing navy, the U.S. has maintained a presence of nuclear-powered submarines across three north-south island chains in the Pacific Ocean, including one that connects Alaska’s Aleutian Islands with New Zealand via Hawaii.
While at least 35 Chinese shipyards have known ties to the country’s military or national security projects, the U.S. Navy operates only four public shipyards—built in the 19th and 20th centuries—including the one at Pearl Harbor, to maintain its combat ships, making it vulnerable in a conflict with China, the world’s largest navy by hull count.
What To Know
Photos shared by Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard on Facebook show the current progress of the construction of Dry Dock 5. The $3.42 billion project, began in August 2023, is scheduled for completion in 2027 and will support projected fleet maintenance requirements.
“The new dry dock will support the #Readiness and #Lethality of our U.S. Navy Fleet, ensuring our naval strength remains unmatched. [Dry Dock 5] is more than just steel and concrete, it’s a commitment to the future of naval #readiness,” the shipyard said.
A dry dock is designed to service a vessel’s hull. After floating a vessel into a three-sided basin, the seaward end is closed and all the water removed, allowing the vessel to settle on a cradle. When work is completed the basin is re-flooded and the seaward end opened to float the vessel out.
Once completed, Dry Dock 5 will be 657 feet long. It is being built next to the 497-foot Dry Dock 3, the smallest of the four dry docks at Pearl Harbor. Dry Docks 1, 2 and 4 are 1,001, 975 and 1,099 feet long, respectively, according to an official document.
The existing dry docks were built between 1919 and 1943. Dry Dock 5, designed for 150 years of use, is part of the Navy’s Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP), which aims to expand shipyard capacity and improve maintenance capabilities.
Built during World War II, Dry Dock 3 lacks the size and floor strength needed to service Virginia-class submarines, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard said. It will become “functionally obsolete” once older Los Angeles-class attack submarines are retired.
Both Virginia– and Los Angeles-class submarines are homeported at Pearl Harbor. The former, a next-generation attack submarine, is 377 feet long and has a displacement of 7,800 tons, while the latter, deployed since 1976, is 360 feet long with a displacement of 6,900 tons, according to the Navy.
What People Are Saying
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard said in a Facebook post on Wednesday: “Dry Dock 5, now over 1/3 complete, is a critical investment in our ability to fix, repair, and maintain ships, keeping them #FitToFight for generations to come.”
The U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Pacific said in March 2023: “The Navy is investing heavily in shipyard infrastructure for nuclear-powered warships. The Navy established SIOP to increase throughput at the four public shipyards by updating their physical layout, upgrading and modernizing their dry docks, and replacing antiquated capital equipment with modern tools and technologies.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen how the U.S. will further boost maintenance for its Navy. Some American naval vessels have been serviced in U.S. ally South Korea, reducing downtime and costs and enhancing readiness by conducting maintenance in theater.
