Foreign Investment Can Help Rebuild American Shipbuilding

BusinessAerospace & DefenseForeign Investment Can Help Rebuild American ShipbuildingByAlex Krutz,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I am The Factory Doctor for the Aerospace & Defense supply chain.Follow AuthorAug 24, 2026, 10:35am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.SummaryPresident Trump's new National Security Presidential Memorandum addresses the critical US shipbuilding crisis, where the maritime industrial base struggles to meet demand. The plan calls for new acquisition strategies, including a "Finland Model" allowing foreign shipbuilders to construct initial vessels overseas while investing in US yards, training American workers, and establishing domestic supply chains for subsequent builds. This aims to transfer expertise and expand capacity. The memorandum also proposes a fifth public Navy shipyard and a review of Naval Sea Systems Command. South Korea is identified as a key partner, with its MASGA initiative offering $150 billion in investments to modernize US shipyards and strengthen the supply chain. The goal is to deliver mission-ready vessels faster by leveraging allied expertise and predictable funding.Show More Workers build ships at the Jinling Shipyard of China Merchants Industrial in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China, on December 27, 2025. (Photo by Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty ImagesPresident Trump’s new National Security Presidential Memorandum recognizes a reality that has become impossible to ignore. The United States needs more ships, but its maritime industrial base cannot build and repair them at the required rate. Solving that problem requires more than additional orders. It requires new capacity, stronger competition, disciplined designs, and greater cooperation with allied shipbuilders.The memorandum directs the Department of War to develop new acquisition app...