WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th November, 2020) The COVID-19 pandemic reduced US nuclear submarine staff levels by 80 percent, Director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion Admiral Frank Caldwell said at a symposium.
"COVID 19 reduced US submarine planning command and engineering to 20-30 percent of manpower at one point," Caldwell said on Monday.
The Navy was able to reduce or eliminate delays on nuclear propulsion construction and development programs by using such expedients as staggering shifts and having staffers telecommute, Caldwell said.
Later in the symposium, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) for Operations, Plans & Strategy Vice Admiral Philip Sawyer said that he believed COVID-19 could not be completely eliminated although it would be greatly reduced in frequency and risk. The Navy would have to learn to live with it and manage it as it had done with the flu, he added.
