Order to rebuild U.S. shipbuilding: change carrier systems, add yards, and use foreign-to-U.S. partnerships

What is happening

• Agencies (Secretary of War, Navy, OMB, APNSA and others) must deliver multiple plans on short timelines: 60 days, 90 days, and 120 days depending on the task.

Key required actions and timelines

• 60 days: Plan to replace the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Weapons Elevators with steam and hydraulic systems for CVN‑81, including timelines and resourcing.
• 90 days: Plans for a new competitive acquisition approach for surface combatants (anti‑submarine, surface warfare, convoy escort) that may use an international procurement model; and a plan to use trade‑deal financial resources for CONSOL tankers and Roll‑On/Roll‑Off vessels under that model.
• 90 days: Plan to establish a Component Repair Center to refurbish submarine parts and hold at least one "ship set" of spare equipment for Los Angeles, Virginia, Seawolf, Ohio, and Columbia classes.
• 120 days: Plan to establish a fifth public Navy Yard with drydock capacity for projected fast attack submarine growth over two decades, including site options near the Pacific Fleet and options for up to three new drydocks and innovative financing.
• 120 days: NAVSEA review and reform recommendations to introduce results‑based accountability, reduce bureaucracy, eliminate competing priorities, and prevent iterative redesigns of approved parent designs.

Finland Model and foreign supplier conditions

• The memorandum allows using a "Finland Model" for up to three ship classes if the foreign supplier:
  • Builds a new U.S. shipyard or acquires majority equity in an existing U.S. shipyard;
  • Builds all ships after the first two in U.S. shipyards;
  • Hires and trains an American workforce;
  • Licenses proprietary shipbuilding techniques and technologies to the U.S. shipyards;
  • Sources a U.S. supply chain for construction and maintenance.
• The Secretary of War is delegated authority under 10 U.S.C. 8679 to make national security determinations that allow waivers; Congress will be notified and a contract may not be made until 30 days after notification.

Design change rule

• The Navy is barred from imposing iterative design changes on the original mature parent designs in programs using these approaches; any changes require approval by the Secretary of War in consultation with other senior officials.

Why it matters

• The memorandum sets short deadlines and concrete institutional steps aimed at increasing domestic shipyard capacity, reforming acquisition and oversight (NAVSEA), and using limited international partnerships to speed delivery of ships and sustain a U.S. supply chain.