# Submarines, Supply Chains, & Skilled Labor: Inside the Navy’s Advanced Manufacturing Push

- Show: [Additive Snack](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack)
- Published: 2025-07-10
- Length: 44m
- Episode: 15
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-07-10-submarines-supply-chains-skilled-labor-inside-the-navys-advanced-manufacturing-p
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/ededa5cc

## Summary

Chris Holshouser, Deputy Program Director of Maritime Systems at the Blue Forge Alliance, discusses the U.S. Navy’s 'One Plus Two' strategy to accelerate the production of Columbia and Virginia class submarines. He explains how the Navy is leveraging additive manufacturing to bypass the bottlenecks of traditional forging and casting, which suffer from fragmented supply chains and long lead times. The conversation covers the role of the Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AMCOE) in Danville, Virginia, in standardizing qualification processes and the critical need for workforce development to support this industrial base modernization.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-07-10-submarines-supply-chains-skilled-labor-inside-the-navys-advanced-manufacturing-p#t=6) Introduction: Chris Holshouser and Blue Forge Alliance
- [4:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-07-10-submarines-supply-chains-skilled-labor-inside-the-navys-advanced-manufacturing-p#t=265) The One Plus Two Strategy and Submarine Classes
- [6:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-07-10-submarines-supply-chains-skilled-labor-inside-the-navys-advanced-manufacturing-p#t=417) Supply Chain Fragmentation and Traditional Manufacturing Limits
- [12:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-07-10-submarines-supply-chains-skilled-labor-inside-the-navys-advanced-manufacturing-p#t=742) Role of AMCOE and Qualification Processes
- [20:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-07-10-submarines-supply-chains-skilled-labor-inside-the-navys-advanced-manufacturing-p#t=1233) Additive Applications and Lead Time Reduction
- [26:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-07-10-submarines-supply-chains-skilled-labor-inside-the-navys-advanced-manufacturing-p#t=1604) Workforce Development and Interdisciplinary Skills
- [33:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-07-10-submarines-supply-chains-skilled-labor-inside-the-navys-advanced-manufacturing-p#t=2011) Technology Maturity and Future Interchangeability
- [39:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-07-10-submarines-supply-chains-skilled-labor-inside-the-navys-advanced-manufacturing-p#t=2392) Call to Action and Training Resources

## Topics

- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Certification & compliance](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/certification-and-compliance)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Blue Forge Alliance (company)
- Columbia class (product)
- Virginia class (product)
- Ohio class (product)
- Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (company)
- Newport News (company)
- General Dynamics Electric Boat (company)
- AWS (company)
- buildsubmarines.com (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [298: Exploring Massachusetts' Aerospace & Defense Industry, LIVE in Canton, MA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2026-08-11-298-exploring-massachusetts-aerospace-defense-industry-live-in-canton-ma) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [152: What the U.S. Navy Can Teach You About Industry 4.0 with Marty Groover](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-09-05-152-what-the-u-s-navy-can-teach-you-about-industry-4-0-with-marty-groover) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [Chocolate Castings, Apprenticeships and the Future of Manufacturing Careers w/ Mike Kubacki](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-11-04-chocolate-castings-apprenticeships-and-the-future-of-manufacturing-careers-w-mik) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Post print: The dirty little secret of additive manufacturing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2022-11-29-post-print-the-dirty-little-secret-of-additive-manufacturing) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [It's Not a Workforce Issue, It's a Workflow Issue w/ Alex Torrey](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-08-25-its-not-a-workforce-issue-its-a-workflow-issue-w-alex-torrey) (The Manufacturing Executive)

## Citing this page

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