Trump administration unveils ‘Golden Fleet’ plan to revive US naval shipbuilding

• Trump administration plans to expand US naval power and revive the country’s shipbuilding industry, with over $76 billion earmarked for more than 80 new vessels

• A high-tech facility at Sparrows Point, Maryland, will boost production of Virginia-class submarines, submarine components and autonomous underwater vessels

• Washington plans to expand shipbuilding capacity, address delays and cost overruns, and establish a fifth public navy shipyard

The Trump administration has unveiled plans for a new “Golden Fleet” aimed at expanding US naval power while rebuilding the country’s declining shipbuilding industry and strengthening its defence industrial base.

The strategy was outlined on Tuesday as President Donald Trump visited Sparrows Point, Maryland, where his administration announced plans for a new high-tech shipyard to expand production for the US Navy.

An administration official described the facility as a key component of the broader naval strategy, saying the “Golden Fleet” would be designed to project US power and maintain American maritime dominance for the next century.

Trump said his administration had secured more than $76 billion in funding for shipbuilding, with plans to produce more than 80 new vessels for the navy.

The initiative comes as Washington faces concerns over the ability of the US shipbuilding industry to produce warships and submarines quickly enough to meet the navy’s requirements. The administration has made rebuilding domestic shipbuilding a central part of its defence and industrial policy.

Speaking in Maryland, Trump said the United States had allowed its once-powerful shipbuilding sector to decline and described the new investment as part of a “golden age of shipbuilding”.

The Sparrows Point project is expected to expand production capacity for Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines, torpedo tubes and other submarine components. It will also support the development of autonomous underwater vessels and provide opportunities for newer defence technology companies to enter large-scale naval manufacturing.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the administration was seeking greater speed and production capacity from both the Pentagon and private industry.

“In order to make America great again, you need to make your navy great again,” Hegseth said, while calling for a stronger manufacturing sector and defence industrial base.

The Maryland project forms part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to expand and modernise the US Navy.

Trump has directed the Pentagon to address persistent delays and cost overruns in major naval programmes, increase competition among shipbuilders and expand the industrial base supporting nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers.

A presidential memorandum issued in August also directed the Pentagon to develop plans for a fifth public navy shipyard, which would be the first new facility of its kind in more than eight decades. The order calls for greater use of private-sector capacity and investment to improve the readiness of submarines and aircraft carriers.

The administration has acknowledged longstanding structural problems in US naval shipbuilding, including complex vessel designs, repeated design changes, limited competition and an ageing or weakened supplier base.

Officials say addressing these constraints will be critical to expanding production and ensuring the navy can meet the demands of future conflicts while restoring the United States’ industrial capacity to build advanced warships at scale.

With IANS inputs