US President Donald Trump has ordered an overhaul of US Navy shipbuilding that could allow foreign yards to build the first vessels in selected programmes before construction shifts to the US, according to a White House memorandum signed on 13 August.
The plan applies what the administration calls the “Finland Model” to as many as three ship classes as Washington seeks to address capacity constraints, backlogs, delays and rising costs across the naval industrial base.
A qualifying foreign shipbuilder must simultaneously build a new US shipyard or acquire ownership or a majority equity stake in an existing US yard. It must also hire and train US citizens, license proprietary shipbuilding technologies and techniques to its US operation and establish an American supply chain.
The foreign supplier may build the first two ships at its parent yard. All subsequent vessels must be constructed in the US. The Pentagon has 90 days to develop a competitive acquisition approach for surface combatants capable of anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare and convoy escort missions. The same model is to be considered for Consolidated Cargo Replenishment at Sea, or CONSOL, tankers and roll-on/roll-off vessels.
US law generally prohibits armed forces vessels and major hull or superstructure components from being built at foreign shipyards. The restriction can be waived on national security grounds, with Congress notified and contracts barred from signing until 30 days after that notification.
The memorandum also requires a plan within 60 days to replace the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, and Advanced Weapons Elevators with steam catapults and hydraulic elevators on CVN-81, the future USS Doris Miller.
General Atomics, which supplies EMALS, warned: “With nearly 50% of production complete, changing course now would introduce significant cost, schedule, and integration risks.”
The first three Ford-class carriers will retain their electromagnetic launch systems. CVN-81 is the fourth ship in the class and is being built by HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding.
Trump also ordered a plan within 120 days for a fifth public US Navy shipyard, including consideration of as many as three new drydocks capable of handling current and planned submarine classes. A separate Component Repair Center plan is due within 90 days and must provide capacity for at least one ship set of spare equipment covering the Los Angeles, Virginia, Seawolf, Ohio and Columbia submarine classes.
The Shipbuilders Council of America has opposed overseas construction of US military vessels, arguing that it would divert demand, jobs and industrial capability from US yards.
HII is a US defence and shipbuilding company whose Newport News Shipbuilding division designs, builds and maintains nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines for the US Navy.
Newport News Shipbuilding employs more than 26,000 people and is the only US shipyard that designs and builds nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
General Atomics is a privately owned US technology company based in San Diego. Its General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems business develops electromagnetic, power and defence systems, including EMALS and Advanced Arresting Gear for Ford-class aircraft carriers.