The Navy's top maintenance official warned that the service is "in a tail-chase" to get submarines and ships the overhauls they need, with some running much longer than foreseen.
Vice Adm. William Hilarides said the yards got backed up because of budget cuts and a hiring freeze that left thousands of jobs unfilled at Naval Sea Systems Command, which Hilarides leads.
"We found ourselves almost 2,000 people behind out of a workforce of 30,000, on an increasing workload ... and we fell behind," he said.
Hilarides, who spoke Wednesday at the annual Naval Submarine League symposium in Northern Virginia, said that the attack boats had seen the longest delays.
"They are significantly behind and we will not catch back up," said Hilarides, a career submariner who has commanded the attack sub Key West.
Hilarides said workloads have continued to increase as the ballistic missile subs hit their mid-life refueling, as well as the increased demand of having 11 carriers, which wasn't the case until the George H.W. Bush entered the fleet in 2009.
Hilarides also discussed the impact of last year's shootings in Building 197, NAVSEA's headquarters, saying his staff is getting geared up to reenter the building next February.
"They are beginning to come to terms with the idea of coming back to the building," he said.
Hilarides said workers have been shown pictures of what the building and their desks look like now after the renovation and many have visited.
The building will be ready Feb. 1, which is a Sunday. NAVSEA will have a ceremony marking the renaming of the building after renowned ship builder Joshua Humphreys, who designed the Navy's first six frigates, including the USS Constitution.
