Trump Opens Door to Foreign-Built Warships in Major Navy Shipbuilding Overhaul

President Donald Trump has ordered a sweeping overhaul of U.S. Navy shipbuilding, including opening the door to foreign-built warships, establishing a fifth public naval shipyard and replacing key technologies planned for the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier.

The National Security Presidential Memorandum, titled “Rebuilding the United States Navy and America’s Shipbuilding Industrial Base,” takes direct aim at longstanding cost overruns, delays and capacity constraints across the Navy’s shipbuilding portfolio.

The White House says overly complex designs, repeated design changes and a lack of competition have contributed to large backlogs across six major Navy shipbuilding programs, while the broader U.S. commercial shipbuilding sector