U.S. Navy boss wants ship fixes, robots ahead of potential China fight

• And the U.S. has a labor and supply chain issue. These are acutely felt at America's shipyards.

Driving the news: Franchetti last week rolled out her "Navigation Plan," a document detailing her vision for the service now and in the future.

• Driving it is what she's calling "Project 33" — a list of seven personal priorities.

What they're saying: "The Chairman of the People's Republic of China (PRC) has told his forces to be ready for war by 2027 — we will be more ready," Franchetti writes in the plan.

• "We have seen breakthroughs in battlefield innovation over the last two years, with profound implications for the changing character of war."
• Franchetti cites the Black Sea, where Ukrainians are sinking priceless Russian ships with souped-up jet skis.
• A previous Navigation Plan pitched a hybrid fleet, with 373 manned ships collaborating with 150 uncrewed vessels.

Friction point: The Navy's priority boats are years behind construction schedule, and aging ships and protracted repair windows are compounding the problem.

• Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, shipbuilders and lawmakers discussed fleet funding behind closed doors last week.

• Of note was a proposal to accelerate sub construction and tweak how work is paid for, known as Shipyard Accountability and Workforce Support.
• Chris Kastner, the CEO of HII, in an email told Axios he thought SAWS was "kind of genius."

Between the lines: Project 33 launches as the "Davidson window" looms. Named for the former head of Indo-Pacific Command, Adm. Phil Davidson, the Taiwan-invasion timeline is an obsession in Washington.

Our thought bubble: Smart machinery can augment naval firepower and construction ashore. Its adoption is win-win.

Go deeper: Gecko Robotics to expand its U.S. Navy gigs