Presidential Determination Pursuant to Section 303 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as Amended

This determination invokes the Defense Production Act to prioritize and expand domestic industrial capacity for Virginia Class attack submarine production, specifically targeting large-scale fabrication, shipbuilding base expansion, and maritime workforce training. It waives standard procedural requirements under Section 303 to expedite action, finding that without presidential intervention, U.S. industry cannot meet national defense needs in a timely manner.

Federal Register Open PDF 86 FR 73587

Impact dates

Date TBD
Federal Register publication (directed but no fixed date specified)

Key directives

Determine submarine fabrication, shipbuilding expansion, and workforce training as essential to national defense under DPA Section 303(a)(5)
Waive requirements of DPA Section 303(a)(1)-(a)(6) for supply chain expansion
Authorize purchases, purchase commitments, or other DPA actions for domestic production capability expansion
Direct publication in Federal Register

Who is ordered

Secretary of Defense · Department of Defense

Timeline

Immediate

DPA Section 303 authority activated for submarine supply chains
waiver of standard DPA procedural requirements takes effect

Near term (90d)

Federal Register publication of determination
potential DPA-funded purchases and purchase commitments for fabrication and workforce training

Long term

industrial base expansion for submarine production resilience
maritime workforce training pipeline development
sustained Virginia Class production capacity

Risks & tensions

Workforce training pipelines imply multi-year human capital development lag
Waiving standard DPA requirements reduces congressional and procedural oversight
Cost-effectiveness claim (section 303(a)(5)(3)) may be contested given single-source defense industrial base
Document does not specify dollar amounts or contract awards, leaving implementation scope uncertain