US shipbuilders do exactly what the DoD tells them to, and not a thing more.
If they were told to track things at this level, they would...and bill the government absurd amounts to do so.
All they sell is timecards. The government tells them how many they will buy, and for what.
If and when the Congress wants that kind of scrutiny and oversight, they can put up the cash.
In the meantime, occasionally a ship or two plops out the back end of the “process”, and everyone claps. They all got paid. But efficiency and timeliness are not part of the program.
I know someone who worked in finance at a big defense contractor building items for the Air Force. Exactly the same problems: endless, idiotic change orders, shutting & restarting production lines, etc. Foreign orders came in, were completed, and went out the door faster than one of the same items for DOD.
US procurement money pays for the process of procurement, not delivering working weapons systems. In that sense, it's perfect in doing what it was designed to do.