White House Opens Door to Overseas Construction of US Navy Ships

President Trump has signed a memorandum allowing foreign shipbuilders to build some United States Navy vessels overseas as part of a wider plan to increase shipbuilding and repair capacity.

Overseas Navy Shipbuilding

The plan uses a previous agreement with Finland for Coast Guard icebreakers as a model for up to three classes of Navy ships. Under the arrangement, a foreign shipbuilder could build the first two vessels overseas as long as it builds or invests in a US shipyard, where all subsequent vessels would be made.

These foreign suppliers would be required to hire and train US workers, share shipbuilding technology with their US operations, and use a domestic supply chain for vessels built and maintained in the US. The memorandum directs the Defense Department to develop procurement programs covering surface combatants, cargo replenishment tankers, and roll-on, roll-off vessels.

Fifth Navy Shipyard

The memorandum calls for a fifth public Navy shipyard to increase repair capacity for nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers. The four public shipyards the Navy currently operates are in Virginia, Hawaii, Washington, and New Hampshire.

Potential locations for the new shipyard near the US Pacific Fleet include sites in the continental US, Alaska, Hawaii, and US territories. A separate component repair center is planned for parts used in submarine programs.

In the same memorandum, Trump also directed the Defense Department to prepare a plan to replace the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and Advanced Weapons Elevators planned for the USS Doris Miller with steam and hydraulic systems.

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Ahmed K Janabi

Credit: Thomas