A podcast engaging the people, voices, and ideas behind America’s maritime reboot at the intersection of technology and manufacturing. <br/><br/><a href="https://austinegray.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">austinegray.substack.com</a>
Rebuilding the Fleet
Claim This Podcastby Austin Gray & Tim Glinatsis
5.0(4 reviews)
11 episodes
Updated Daily
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸
Podcast Overview
A podcast engaging the people, voices, and ideas behind America’s maritime reboot at the intersection of technology and manufacturing. <br/><br/><a href="https://austinegray.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">austinegray.substack.com</a>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
11/13/2025
1 verified contact email on file for Rebuilding the Fleet
Pitch yourself as a guest, propose sponsorships, or reach out directly to the host.
Recent Episodes
February 5, 2026
Ep. 10: Season 1 Recap - What We Learned About America's Shipbuilding Crisis
<p>We did something different this week.</p><p>No guests and no scripts… Just me and Tim sitting down to take stock of what we’ve learned across Season 1 about what is happening in American shipbuilding right now.</p><p>When we started this podcast six months ago, I don’t think either of us fully appreciated the moment we were entering. As Tim put it: “My entire shipbuilding career, nobody even knew what shipbuilding was.” Now it’s on the front page. Congress is debating the SHIPS Act. The Secretary of the Navy is making YouTube videos explaining acquisition decisions. </p><p>It’s not a moment too soon.</p><p><strong>As we reflected on our first season, what surprised us most was t</strong>he passion around these topics. </p><p>When we invited founders, industry veterans, and association leaders onto the show, we expected expertise. </p><p>They had that, for sure. But we also got fire. </p><p>These people have been ignored for decades, working on something that suddenly matters to everyone, and they are ecstatic to be talking about it.</p><p><strong>The big themes from Season 1:</strong></p><p>* <strong>Geopolitics is driving this reboot.</strong> Anxiety over the Indo-Pacific is reshaping every acquisition decision, every war game, every conversation we have with Navy customers. Ukraine’s Black Sea campaign added urgency: if a small country can pin down Russia’s fleet with unmanned systems, what does distributed maritime power actually look like?</p><p>* <strong>Policy is moving… slowly.</strong> The SHIPS Act didn’t make it into this year’s NDAA. The reconciliation bill added MIB money. The Navy reorganized acquisition around PAEs. Things are happening, but the pace still falls a bit short of the threat.</p><p>* <strong>The Navy is getting better at storytelling! </strong>Secretary Phelan’s videos explaining the frigate cancellation and NSC pivot were the first time I’ve seen Navy leadership proactively justify acquisition decisions to the public. Whether or not you agree with their reasoning, they laid it out for us, which was different.</p><p>* <strong>American capacity is genuinely fragile.</strong> Matt Paxson from the Shipbuilders Council drove this point home. Without the Jones Act and similar policies, some of our yards would already be gone. We’ve seen acquisitions save yards that were about to fail. The ecosystem is brittle. </p><p>* <strong>International allies matter.</strong> Tim spent a week in Korea visiting shipyards. A “tiny” yard in Busan would rank top-five in the United States by capacity. That’s the scale gap. And it’s not just Korea… here at home, Hanwha, Fincantieri, Austal, and Damen are all playing roles in American sea power.</p><p><strong>What we’re watching in 2026:</strong></p><p>Acquisition announcements (big consolidation moves are coming). The frigate program’s next chapter. Will California Forever break ground? How will the Golden Fleet translates into contracts? </p><p>And we hope (finally) to get some Navy officials on the show to talk about it all in Season 2.</p><p>Thank you for listening to Season 1. We built this because we believe American sea power matters, and because this industry deserved a platform. Turns out a lot of you agree.</p><p>Stay tuned for Season 2!</p><p>Catch up on Season 1 here: https://austinegray.substack.comFollow Austin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austinelliottgray/Follow Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tglinatsisFollow Blue Water Autonomy: https://www.blw.ai/</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://austinegray.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">austinegray.substack.com</a>
January 29, 2026
Ep. 09: Building America's Biggest Shipyard - A $1B Bet on California Forever
<p>About the Company</p><p>California Forever is an ambitious venture founded nearly 10 years ago to build a new city in Solano County, California just east of San Francisco. The company has quietly assembled almost 70,000 acres (100+ square miles) through 700 separate land transactions over 8 years, and has raised over $1 billion in funding. The project consists of three main pillars: the Solano Foundry (America’s largest proposed advanced manufacturing park), the Solano Shipyard (~7,500 acres of maritime industrial space), and Solano Living (a walkable downtown and neighborhoods with 175,000 homes for approximately 400,000 residents).</p><p>About our Guest</p><p>Jan Sramek is the founder and CEO of California Forever. Originally from the Czech Republic, Jan grew up in a blue-collar manufacturing community where his uncles were CNC machinists and his father was a car mechanic. After stints in finance and technology in the UK and Switzerland, he moved to California in 2013 with a vision of a state that could build anything. Disillusioned by the regulatory obstacles preventing construction, he spent a year researching solutions before concluding that California needed an entirely new city. In 2016, he bet his personal fortune on the vision, borrowing what he describes as “an irresponsible amount of money,” and has since built California Forever into one of the most ambitious development projects in American history.</p><p>Key Topics of Conversation</p><p>* Why America needs new shipyards, not just new ships</p><p>* The challenge of site selection</p><p>* The Korean shipyard model</p><p>* California’s regulatory environment and how California Forever is navigating permitting</p><p>* The workforce advantage: 750,000 skilled workers within 50 miles and the recruiting advantage of short commutes</p><p>* The “inland bay” construction approach: excavating in the dry at 1/20th the cost</p><p>* Why all seven cities in Solano County have passed resolutions supporting shipbuilding</p><p>Learn more: https://californiaforever.com/</p><p>About Rebuilding the Fleet: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rebuilding-the-fleet</p><p>Follow Jan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jansramek/</p><p>Follow Austin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austinelliottgray/</p><p>Follow Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tglinatsis/</p><p>Subscribe to Rebuilding the Fleet:</p><p>* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RebuildingTheFleet</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://austinegray.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">austinegray.substack.com</a>
January 22, 2026
Ep. 08 - Inside Hanwha Defense's $5B Bet on American Shipbuilding
<p>About the Company</p><p>Hanwha Defense USA is the American arm of South Korea’s Hanwha Group, one of the world’s largest defense and industrial conglomerates. In the U.S., Hanwha operates the Philly Shipyard—the only major commercial shipyard on the East Coast—alongside munitions production facilities and a growing portfolio spanning solar power, optics, and advanced manufacturing. The company has pledged $5 billion in foreign direct investment to expand American shipbuilding capacity, with plans to transform Philly Shipyard from producing 1-2 ships annually to 20 ships per year within a decade.</p><p>About the Guest</p><p>Mike Smith is the COO of Hanwha Defense USA. A former Navy nuclear Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) who served aboard the USS Valley Forge (CG-50), Mike brings over 24 years of defense industry experience spanning United Defense, BAE Systems, Huntington Ingalls Industries (where he served as Chief Strategy Officer), and Lockheed Martin. His career has touched energetics, artillery, precision-guided munitions, shipbuilding, ship design, and weapon systems.</p><p>Key Topics of Conversation</p><p>* Hanwha’s $5 billion investment in U.S. shipbuilding and munitions capacity</p><p>* From 800 to 2,200 employees at Philly Shipyard … in one year</p><p>* Industrial automation, cobots, and the future of shipyard safety</p><p>* Korean shipbuilding culture</p><p>* Building submarines</p><p>* The supply chain challenge and why Congressional “regular order” matters</p><p>* The Vessel Construction Manager (VCM) model</p><p>* Balancing commercial and naval work</p><p>* Golden Fleet, MUSVs, and the case for smaller distributed platforms</p><p>* Hanwha’s three commitments</p><p>Key Links</p><p>About Hanwha Defense USA: https://hanwhadefenseusa.com/</p><p>About Rebuilding the Fleet: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rebuilding-the-fleet</p><p>Follow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesmithstratgen/</p><p>Follow Austin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austinelliottgray/</p><p>Follow Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tglinatsis/</p><p>Subscribe to Rebuilding the Fleet:</p><p>* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RebuildingTheFleet</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://austinegray.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">austinegray.substack.com</a>
11 total episodes available
Deep-dive analytics for Rebuilding the Fleet
Frequently asked questions
Have a different question and can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our support team by sending us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
- What is Rebuilding the Fleet?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
Legal Disclaimer
Pod Engine is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected with any of the podcasts displayed on this platform. We operate independently as a podcast discovery and analytics service.
All podcast artwork, thumbnails, and content displayed on this page are the property of their respective owners and are protected by applicable copyright laws. This includes, but is not limited to, podcast cover art, episode artwork, show descriptions, episode titles, transcripts, audio snippets, and any other content originating from the podcast creators or their licensors.
We display this content under fair use principles and/or implied license for the purpose of podcast discovery, information, and commentary. We make no claim of ownership over any podcast content, artwork, or related materials shown on this platform. All trademarks, service marks, and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
While we strive to ensure all content usage is properly authorized, if you are a rights holder and believe your content is being used inappropriately or without proper authorization, please contact us immediately at hey@podengine.ai for prompt review and appropriate action, which may include content removal or proper attribution.
By accessing and using this platform, you acknowledge and agree to respect all applicable copyright laws and intellectual property rights of content owners. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or commercial use of the content displayed on this platform is strictly prohibited.