
The Navy officer in charge of strategic submarines this week said having the right workforce is the biggest challenge to keeping the new Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) on schedule. “Principally I’d say my biggest concern is about workforce, and getting the right workforce to go do that, in the skilled trades, both at our nuclear shipyards and throughout the vendor base that provides material that feeds those shipyards,” Rear Adm. Scott Pappano, Program Executive Officer for Strategic Submarines, said…