Trump Signs Memorandum to Revitalize US Shipbuilding, Adopting Finland Model and Adding Fifth Naval Shipyard

U. S. President Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum on August 13, 2026, directing the Department of Defense to revitalize the U. shipbuilding industry and address long-standing problems in ship manufacturing and maintenance while restoring capacity and competitiveness. The White House released the announcement on its website the same day. The memorandum instructs the Defense Department to make substantially increased direct investment in the U. shipbuilding industrial base on the basis of the "Finland model."

The White House said the "Finland model" was first adopted in the medium icebreaker program of the U. Coast Guard. Under this model, foreign shipbuilders that make substantial and durable investments in U. shipyards — thereby creating jobs and training the American workforce — will be temporarily permitted to build up to two ships at their parent facilities outside the United States on behalf of the U. side. These ships will be delivered swiftly to fill gaps, while other vessels in the Defense Department's orders will be constructed at U. shipyards after those facilities have been "revitalized."

The memorandum also directs the Defense Department to establish a fifth naval shipyard to enhance the maintenance capabilities for submarines and aircraft carriers. This would be the first new naval shipyard built in the United States in more than 80 years. In addition, the memorandum calls for the establishment of a component maintenance center for the storage and refurbishment of critical submarine parts.