As the founder of Americans for a Stronger Navy, my mission is to advocate for the naval power our nation needs to secure its interests, project influence, and deter aggression in an increasingly complex world. For too long, discussions about naval strength have focused almost exclusively on traditional, crewed warships. While these mighty vessels remain the backbone of our fleet, a silent revolution is underway—one that promises to redefine naval warfare as we know it.
More Than Just Boats: The Brains Behind the Brawn
What makes these vessels so transformative isn’t just their ability to operate without a crew, but the sophisticated artificial intelligence that empowers them. Both the Sea Hunter and Seahawk were designed and built by Leidos, and they are powered by an advanced software ecosystem called LAVA (Leidos Autonomous Vessel Architecture).
Self-Correction & Resilience: If a system fails or damage occurs, LAVA can reconfigure its mission in real-time. It’s like having a captain who can rewrite the playbook mid-battle without human intervention.
Intelligent Navigation: LAVA constantly processes data from radar, lidar, AIS, and cameras to execute collision avoidance maneuvers in full compliance with international “Rules of the Road” (COLREGS).
Modular Versatility: The same “brain” can be installed across a wide range of vessels, from high-speed interceptors to specialized sub-hunters.
A Fleet of Ghost Ships: The Strategic Advantages
Persistence & Endurance: Without a crew, these ships can operate for extended periods without the need for rotation or resupply.
Reduced Risk to Personnel: Deploying unmanned vessels for dangerous missions like anti-submarine warfare (ASW) preserves our most valuable asset: our sailors.
Cost-Effectiveness: Long-term operational costs are significantly lower than traditional warships, offering an affordable way to expand global presence.
Scalability & Swarming: LAVA enables “swarms” of USVs to coordinate and search vast ocean areas for threats simultaneously.
Looking Ahead: The Future is Unmanned
The US Navy’s commitment is clear. With an expansion from just four small USVs to hundreds projected within a single year, the shift is undeniable. The Seahawk and Sea Hunter have already logged over 140,000 autonomous nautical miles—more than five times the Earth’s circumference.
For Americans for a Stronger Navy, this represents a crucial step forward. Investing in these innovative, autonomous systems ensures that our Navy remains at the forefront of global naval power, ready to face the challenges of tomorrow’s maritime domain with unparalleled strength.
Join the Mission for a Modern Fleet
The transition to an autonomous-integrated fleet is a generational shift that requires steady advocacy and public support. At Americans for a Stronger Navy, we are dedicated to ensuring our sailors have the most advanced technology on the planet to keep our seas free and our nation secure.
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Naval historian Trent Hone recently published a thoughtful piece explaining why the U.S. Navy no longer builds battleships—and why, from a warfighting standpoint, it probably shouldn’t.
Hone’s argument is straightforward: the operational logic that once justified battleships has been obsolete for decades. Big guns gave way to aircraft. Aircraft gave way to missiles. Today’s naval combat rewards dispersion, networking, and numbers—not massive armored hulls.
That assessment is widely shared among naval professionals.
But Hone makes a second, more subtle point that deserves more attention: battleships have always carried symbolic power far beyond their military utility. They were never just weapons. They were national statements—about strength, reach, prestige, and ambition.
That symbolic role has not disappeared.
And that’s where the conversation gets interesting.
Two Serious Perspectives, One Shared Conclusion
Hone is a respected scholar and strategist. He holds the Marine Corps University Foundation Chair of Strategic Studies and has written extensively about how naval doctrine evolves with technology and threat environments. His view is clear: building a new battleship today would produce a smaller, less resilient, less lethal fleet than the alternatives.
Others, however, approach the issue from a different angle.
Defense analyst Brent Sadler, for example, has argued that what matters most is not any specific platform but the urgent need to rebuild American sea power at scale. His emphasis is on fleet size, industrial capacity, and the ability to sustain combat operations over time. For Sadler, bold ideas—even controversial ones—are useful if they force the public to confront how far the Navy has fallen behind its global responsibilities.
These two views may differ on specifics, but they converge on something essential:
America needs a stronger Navy.
Not symbolically. Not nostalgically. Structurally.
The Real Problem Isn’t Battleships—It’s Public Understanding
The deeper issue raised by this debate is not whether we should build a new class of battleships. It’s that the American public has lost touch with what sea power actually means.
Most Americans don’t see the Navy at work. They don’t see trade routes. They don’t see chokepoints. They don’t see logistics. They don’t see undersea cables. They don’t see maintenance backlogs. They don’t see shipyard fragility. They don’t see attrition math.
But they do recognize symbols.
Battleships, like aircraft carriers, are easy to understand. They look powerful. They feel powerful. They communicate strength in a way spreadsheets and logistics diagrams do not.
That doesn’t make them good warfighting solutions—but it does make them powerful communication tools.
And the Navy has a communication problem.
A stronger Navy is not only a military challenge. It is a civic one—requiring public understanding, long-term commitment, and new thinking about how we fund and sustain national security.
Why Americans Should Care
The U.S. Navy is not just a military force. It is the invisible foundation of modern American life.
It protects global trade. It stabilizes energy flows. It keeps shipping lanes open. It reassures allies. It deters coercion. It underwrites economic stability.
When the Navy weakens, these systems become fragile.
That fragility doesn’t show up overnight—but it shows up eventually.
Implications for the Navy
Modern naval power is no longer about a few dominant platforms. It is about:
A stronger Navy is not just a bigger Navy—it is a Navy that can take losses and keep fighting.
That requires more ships, more shipyards, more trained sailors, and more public support.
Implications for Our Allies
Allies do not just look at U.S. statements. They look at U.S. capacity.
They ask: Can America show up? Can America stay? Can America sustain? Can America adapt?
A strong Navy reassures allies. A hollow Navy invites testing.
Where We Stand
At Americans for a Stronger Navy, we are not here to pick winners in platform debates. Reasonable people will disagree about hulls, missiles, drones, and fleet composition.
But most serious voices agree on one thing:
The Navy is stretched too thin. The industrial base is fragile. The fleet is too small for its mission set. And the public does not understand what’s at stake.
That is the gap we exist to close.
Not through nostalgia. Not through fear. But through education.
Because a democracy cannot sustain a strong Navy if it does not understand why it needs one.
That’s why we launched Charting the Course: Voices That Matter — a 24-part educational series breaking down how we got here, what went wrong, and what must happen next. Our goal is simple: educate the public, connect the dots, and build the support needed to close the readiness gap before it’s too late.
Two U.S. Navy destroyers just spent weeks tracking, shadowing, and supporting the seizure of a runaway oil tanker in the North Atlantic.
This was not a combat mission. It was not a press event. It was not symbolic.
It was enforcement.
USS Bulkeley (DDG-84) and USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) helped support an operation that ultimately boarded and seized a Russian-flagged tanker that had been actively evading authorities across thousands of miles of open ocean.
This is what maritime power looks like in 2026. And most Americans never see it.
What Happened The vessel—initially named Bella 1—was operating as part of what U.S. officials describe as a “dark fleet,” a network of tankers designed to evade sanctions through deceptive practices.
Over the course of its escape, the tanker: • Changed its name • Reflagged as Russian • Painted a new national tricolor on its hull • Altered its identity • Evaded a U.S. naval blockade • Attempted to disappear into the Atlantic
After weeks of pursuit, U.S. forces—supported by Navy destroyers, Coast Guard assets, special operations forces, and allied surveillance—seized the vessel in waters between the UK and Iceland.
The UK provided support. NATO was not involved.
This was a multinational, multi-domain enforcement operation.
Not war. Not peace. Enforcement.
Why This Matters Sanctions do not enforce themselves.
Every time a government announces new sanctions, it implies something most people never think about:
Someone has to physically enforce them.
That means: • Ships • Crews • Surveillance • Boarding teams • Legal frameworks • Sustainment • Allies • Weeks of continuous presence
Sanctions without maritime power are just words on paper.
The Rise of the Dark Fleet So-called “dark fleet” vessels use identity laundering to move oil, weapons, and sanctioned goods across the world.
They: • Reflag repeatedly • Change names • Operate under shell companies • Transmit false data • Disable tracking systems • Exploit legal gray zones
This is modern maritime gray-zone warfare.
And the U.S. Navy is now its primary counterforce.
Attrition Isn’t Just Combat A Navy captain once wrote: “Wars at sea are wars of attrition.”
What most people miss is that attrition doesn’t only happen during wars.
The future isn’t coming—it’s already here, patrolling our oceans with no human hands on the wheel.
Personal Reflection
Bill Cullifer, onboard USS Henry B. Wilson -DDG 7 1976
Bill Cullifer, Founder
As someone who stood watch on a destroyer’s deck for years, I’d love nothing more than for every young American to feel the salt air, a wooden helm at their fingertips, the roll of the ship beneath their feet and the breathtaking vastness of the sea. That experience shaped my life and the life of many others that I respect and admire.
But sentiment won’t secure the future. The world has changed—and it’s time we face some hard facts.
We’re now witnessing the dawn of a radically new era in warfare. One that demands we embrace and invest in the technologies that will define the next generation of naval power.
From Science Fiction to Sea Trials
Less than a decade ago, the idea of fully autonomous warships seemed like the stuff of sci-fi. Today, the U.S. Navy’s USX-1 Defiant—a 180-foot, 240-ton vessel designed without a single human accommodation—is conducting sea trials off Washington state.
No bunks. No heads. No mess halls. Just a steel-clad, AI-powered war machine optimized purely for mission.
This isn’t incremental change. It’s an exponential leap.
The Compound Effect of Convergent Technologies
What’s driving this revolution isn’t just a single breakthrough. It’s convergence.
AI Decision-Making at Machine Speed
Ships like USS Ranger and Mariner aren’t just autonomous—they’re operational. They’ve logged thousands of miles, fired missiles, and executed missions without direct human control. Real-time, tactical adaptation is already replacing human-triggered decision trees.
Swarm Coordination Beyond Human Capability
With programs like Ghost Fleet Overlord, we’re moving toward fully integrated autonomous networks—surface, subsurface, aerial. Swarms of unmanned systems coordinating at machine speed, executing joint missions across domains.
New Physical Designs, New Possibilities
When you remove the human factor, new design freedom emerges. The NOMARS program optimizes for function over form—rapid payload reconfiguration, longer endurance, fewer constraints. Defiant doesn’t compromise. It adapts.
The Multiplication Factor
Each of these capabilities amplifies the others:
AI enables swarm tactics
Swarms generate operational data
That data trains the next-gen AI
Which enables even more sophisticated missions
The cycle is accelerating. Consider DARPA’s Manta Ray, an autonomous glider designed to “hibernate” on the seabed for months. Now picture that working in tandem with unmanned surface vessels like Defiant, and traditional submarines—all coordinating without a single sailor onboard.
The MASC Paradigm: Speed Over Paperwork
The Navy’s new Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC) program exemplifies this exponential thinking. Instead of designing ships around specific missions, MASC creates standardized platforms that gain capabilities through containerized payloads—like naval smartphones that become powerful through modular “apps.”
With an aggressive 18-month delivery timeline and emphasis on commercial standards over “exquisite” platforms, MASC represents a fundamental shift in how the Navy acquires capability. As Austin Gray, Navy Reserve Intelligence Officer & Co-founder/CSO, Blue Water Autonomy observed: “The way Navy is approaching MASC—procuring fast, iteratively, and with focus on speed over paperwork—should offer us hope that the future of U.S. seapower is not so dim.”
This isn’t just about new ships—it’s about new thinking. MASC vessels can be missile shooters one day, submarine hunters the next, simply by swapping standardized containers. The high-capacity variant could carry 64 missiles—more firepower than many destroyers, at a fraction of the cost.
Beyond the Horizon
In 2016, Sea Hunter launched with basic navigation. By 2021, converted vessels were firing missiles. In 2025, purpose-built unmanned warships are conducting sea trials. By 2026, MASC prototypes will be delivered for fleet operations.
What’s next?
The Pentagon is backing this future with a $179 billion R&D investment focused on AI, drone swarms, and autonomous systems. The revolution isn’t limited to ships—it extends to autonomous aircraft, land vehicles, and space-based platforms.
The Inflection Point
This may be the most transformative shift in warfare since the atomic age.
But unlike nuclear weapons, which stagnated under treaties and deterrence doctrines, autonomous systems evolve constantly—learning, adapting, improving. The next five years will likely deliver breakthroughs we can’t yet fully comprehend.
We’re not just upgrading platforms. We’re creating entire ecosystems of autonomous coordination that outpace human decision-making and redefine how wars are fought—and deterred.
Welcome to U.S. Navy 3.0—a new era defined not by bigger ships, but by smarter ones.
We’ve discussed this evolution before: Navy 1.0 was sail and steel; Navy 2.0 brought nuclear power and carrier dominance. Navy 3.0 marks a transformational leap driven by artificial intelligence, autonomy, and multi-domain integration. It’s not just about replacing crewed vessels with unmanned ones—it’s about rethinking naval power from the keel up. From swarming tactics to predictive logistics and machine-speed decision-making, Navy 3.0 is our opportunity to regain the edge in a world where adversaries are building faster, cheaper, and without rules.
The Legacy Challenge
This transformation faces significant resistance. Naval culture, built around centuries of seamanship and command tradition, doesn’t easily embrace unmanned systems. The defense industrial base, optimized for billion-dollar platforms with decades-long production cycles, struggles with MASC’s 18-month timelines and commercial standards.
But operational necessity is forcing evolution. When China builds ships faster than we can afford traditional platforms, alternatives become imperatives. The question isn’t whether to change—it’s whether we can change fast enough.
The Future Is Now
This isn’t a concept. It’s not theory. It’s happening:
Autonomous vessels are already patrolling the Pacific
Underwater gliders are proving months-long endurance
Unmanned surface warships are rewriting the rules of naval architecture
Containerized missile systems are operational
MASC solicitations are active with near-term delivery requirements
The revolution is not ahead of us. It’s around us.
And we’ve only just left the pier.
Why Americans Should Care
Autonomous warfare isn’t just a military story—it’s a national security imperative. Adversaries like China are racing to seize the advantage in unmanned systems. Falling behind means more than losing battles—it risks losing deterrence, freedom of navigation, and geopolitical influence.
The economic implications are equally significant. Navy 3.0’s emphasis on commercial standards and distributed production could revitalize American shipbuilding, creating jobs while strengthening national security.
Implications for the Navy
To remain dominant, the U.S. Navy must rethink everything: shipbuilding timelines, training paradigms, procurement processes, and alliances. Naval power in this new era will favor speed, adaptability, and distributed lethality.
Officer career paths built around commanding ships must evolve to managing autonomous swarms. Training programs must balance traditional seamanship with algorithmic warfare. Most critically, the Navy must maintain its warrior ethos while embracing radical technological change.
A Final Word
Let’s not confuse nostalgia with readiness. The romance of the sea will always have a place in our hearts—but it won’t protect our shores.
The wooden helm and salt air that shaped naval officers for generations remain valuable experiences. But future naval leaders will find meaning in different challenges: commanding autonomous fleets, coordinating multi-domain operations, and outthinking adversaries at machine speed.
If we want peace, we must master this new domain.
It’s time to embrace it. It’s time to invest. It’s time to lead.
That’s why we launched Charting the Course: Voices That Matter—a 24-part educational series breaking down how we got here, what went wrong, and what must happen next. Our goal is simple: educate the public, connect the dots, and build the support needed to close the readiness gap before it’s too late.
On September 27, 2023, Congressman Mike Waltz published “America Needs a National Maritime Strategy,” warning that the United States lacked the shipbuilding capacity and strategic alignment needed to counter China and sustain a maritime advantage.
Nearly two years later, that warning has materialized into policy.
On April 9–10, 2025, the White House issued the executive order “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance,” launching the Maritime Action Plan and creating the new Office of Shipbuilding under the National Security Council.
Then, on July 31, 2025, South Korea’s Finance Minister confirmed the formal launch of Make America Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA)—a $150 billion industrial partnership investing in U.S. shipyards, workforce development, and dual-use naval-commercial platforms.
What MASGA Does
MASGA is the largest public-private shipbuilding effort since the Cold War and includes:
Investment from South Korean giants like Hanwha Group into American yards (including the acquisition of Philly Shipyard)
Joint U.S.–ROK workforce training programs to close skilled labor gaps
New production of replenishment, patrol, and logistics vessels for both Navy and commercial use
Maintenance and drydock support for U.S. Navy ships on U.S. soil
It’s a big step forward—but one that must be matched with urgency.
Admiral Caudle’s Stark Warning: “We Need a 100% Industrial Surge”
On July 29, 2025, during his confirmation hearing for Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Daryl Caudle delivered a sobering message to the Senate Armed Services Committee.
To meet U.S. obligations under the AUKUS agreement—selling up to five Virginia-class submarines to Australia while sustaining our own fleet—the Navy must double its submarine output:
Current production: ~1.3 Virginia-class submarines per year
Required output: 2.3 per year
“We need a transformational improvement,” Caudle testified. “Not a 10 percent improvement, not a 20 percent—a 100 percent improvement.”
He added that international partnerships would be essential as the U.S. works to rebuild its organic capacity:
“There are no magic beans to that. The solution space must open up. We need ships today.”
Committee Chairman Roger Wicker stressed creativity, outsourcing, and urgency. Admiral Caudle agreed, calling for “an all-hands-on-deck approach.”
This is precisely where MASGA comes in.
Why MASGA Matters for the Navy
MASGA’s structure provides the kind of foreign capacity support and workforce relief Caudle explicitly called for. It aligns directly with the Navy’s urgent need for:
Surge production of submarines and surface combatants
Expanded maintenance infrastructure
Shipyard partnerships to relieve domestic pressure
Congressman Waltz anticipated this crisis in 2023. MASGA is the first large-scale step toward solving it.
The Broader Navy Production Challenge
Submarines aren’t the only problem. The Navy’s broader industrial needs remain acute:
Destroyer production has slipped behind plan; the Navy aims to buy 51 new destroyers over the next 30 years, but current yards are falling short.
Aircraft carriers like the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN‑79) are years behind schedule.
The Navy’s long-term fleet goal of 381 ships by 2042 will remain aspirational without massive industrial acceleration.
And even with MASGA, the Navy is still contending with an aging Military Sealift Command, an undersized Merchant Marine, and shipyard repair backlogs.
Modernization Means Autonomy—And We’re Behind
Modernizing the fleet doesn’t just mean more hulls—it means smarter platforms. The future of naval warfare will be shaped by autonomous surface and undersea vehicles, from uncrewed missile boats to AI-enabled minehunters and refueling drones. China is already fielding swarms of semi-autonomous systems in contested waters. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy’s efforts under programs like the Medium and Large Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV/LUSV) remain limited by slow procurement and industrial bottlenecks. MASGA can accelerate the integration of autonomous systems by expanding modular shipbuilding capacity, repurposing civilian infrastructure, and enabling faster tech deployment across the fleet. Without autonomy, we fall behind—not just in numbers, but in survivability and battlefield adaptability.
What Must Come Next
MASGA is a launchpad, not a destination. To restore maritime power, the U.S. must:
Expand submarine production Reach 2.3 attack subs/year by 2030. This requires labor, capital, and process modernization on a scale not seen in decades.
Accelerate surface fleet output Ramp up destroyers, amphibious vessels, and support ships. Congress must deliver multi-year procurement and budget certainty.
Fix regulation and finance Incentivize private capital to flow into U.S. shipyards, not Chinese ones. Close loopholes and create new maritime investment channels for Americans.
Grow the skilled workforce Welders, naval architects, systems engineers—we need tens of thousands more. Joint international training must be paired with U.S. educational investments.
Modernize the Merchant Marine We once had over 5,000 ships. Today, we have fewer than 80 engaged in international trade. This is a critical national vulnerability.
Closing Message: MASGA Is a Start, Not a Solution
MASGA validates the vision Mike Waltz articulated in 2023. It meets Admiral Caudle’s call for relief through allied partnerships. It aligns with the Navy’s production and readiness needs.
But China is still building. Delays persist. And the decision space for national security continues to shrink.
Let’s not wait another decade to act like a maritime power. Let’s build, now.
That’s why we launched Charting the Course: Voices That Matter—a 24-part educational series breaking down how we got here, what went wrong, and what must happen next. Our goal is simple: educate the public, connect the dots, and build the support needed to close the readiness gap before it’s too late.
Let’s move beyond slogans. Let’s build understanding, accountability, and strength—before the next crisis comes knocking.
If you’ve been following along, you know we’ve been sounding the alarm for some time now—raising concerns not out of fear, but out of duty. At Americans for a Stronger Navy, we don’t profit from defense contracts or feed the industrial complex. We’re here because the facts are in: the Navy is falling short of the readiness our nation demands—and we must do better.
The U.S. Navy is aiming for 80% surge readiness by 2027—but it’s stuck at 60%. That 20% gap could determine whether America deters conflict—or invites one.
Brent Sadler, Senior Fellow for Naval Warfare and Advanced Technology at The Heritage Foundation and author of U.S. Naval Power in the 21st Century: A New Strategy for Facing the Chinese and Russian Threat, put it bluntly:
“It won’t happen until more ships enter the fleet to drive operational tempo down to 30%.”
Top Navy leaders have echoed this urgency. As one Navy official said plainly:
“We must increase our fleet readiness to 80% by 2027 to meet global security demands and deter peer-level threats.”
That’s the heart of the problem—and a major reason we’re sounding the alarm.
From the Indo-Pacific to the U.S. Southern border, the Navy is being stretched dangerously thin. The ships we have are aging, overworked, and under-maintained. Meanwhile, new construction is lagging—leaving sailors to shoulder an impossible burden, and the nation exposed.
At Americans for a Stronger Navy, we don’t advocate fear—we advocate responsibility. We believe war is preventable, but only if America wakes up and acts.
That’s why we launched Charting the Course: Voices That Matter—a 24-part educational series breaking down how we got here, what went wrong, and what must happen next. Our goal is simple: educate the public, connect the dots, and build the support needed to close the readiness gap before it’s too late.
Let’s move beyond slogans. Let’s build understanding, accountability, and strength—before the next crisis comes knocking.
By Bill Cullifer Founder, Americans for a Stronger Navy Former U.S. Navy Destroyer Sailor (1970s)
There’s been a lively debate online between economic giants Larry Summers and David Sacks about tariffs, trade policy, and the consequences of decades of globalization. But while they spar over markets and presidential strategies, a bigger question goes largely unspoken:
Who picks up the pieces when economic policy becomes a national vulnerability?
As someone who served in the U.S. Navy in the 1970s and now leads Americans for a Stronger Navy, I’ve watched closely as the Navy quietly shoulders the consequences of decisions made far from the sea. While economists argue over the stock market’s reaction to tariffs, the Navy secures global trade routes, deters adversaries, and absorbs the burden of an offshored industrial base.
But the Navy isn’t alone. Entire sectors of American life—logistics, agriculture, energy, pharmaceuticals, entertainment, finance, and technology—depend on the smooth flow of global trade. From major ports and retailers to family farms and Fortune 500 companies, virtually every modern American business benefits from the stability the Navy helps provide.
The American economy is global because the U.S. Navy keeps it that way.
Yet in the recent debate, while Summers described trillions lost in market volatility and economic fallout, no one mentioned the ripple effects on military readiness, deterrence, or strategic capability. That absence reflects a dangerous blind spot.
When Wall Street stumbles, the Navy sails. When diplomacy falters or trade routes are threatened, the Navy deploys. But today it’s doing so with fewer ships, aging platforms, and underinvested shipyards—while our adversaries build, modernize, and maneuver.
This isn’t just a Navy issue. It’s a business issue. A national issue.
If your industry touches global trade—if you depend on international logistics, rare earth minerals, undersea cables, satellite access, shipping lanes, or simply consumer confidence—then you depend on a ready and capable Navy.
This is a message to American industry: You benefit. You must engage. You must contribute.
We need your voice—and your leadership—in support of:
Rebuilding our shipbuilding and repair base
Investing in drones, AI, and technologies that give our fleet an edge
Modernizing infrastructure and dry docks that sustain readiness
Funding advocacy and education to spark public awareness
The economic world order your industry thrives in exists because American sea power has kept the global commons safe for decades. That foundation is eroding—and silence is no longer an option.
At Americans for a Stronger Navy, we’re connecting the dots between civic awareness, economic strategy, and maritime strength. We’ve launched a 24-part educational initiative to help Americans understand what’s at stake and how to act.
Explore the series: Charting the Course – For Country. For Unity. For a Stronger Navy.
Whether you’re a CEO, policymaker, investor, teacher, or neighbor—this affects you. Now is the time to link economic resilience with strategic defense. To give the Navy the tools—not just praise—before the next storm arrives.
This is your moment to lead. Not from the sidelines—but from the front.
Use your platform. Leverage your influence. Show the next generation that prosperity is earned—and defended.
Because a secure economy doesn’t start with policy. It starts with power. And power starts at sea.
Learn more at StrongerNavy.org and join the movement to educate, equip, and engage.
A stronger Navy requires a stronger America behind it. Let’s get to work.
In a bold move aimed at restoring America’s maritime edge, President Donald Trump signed an executive order today (April 9, 2025) designed to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry and reduce China’s growing control over the global shipping supply chain. The order calls for sweeping changes across trade, industry investment, and national security infrastructure—setting the stage for long-term renewal of America’s commercial and naval shipping capabilities.
What the Executive Order Includes
The new executive order establishes:
Maritime Security Trust Fund A dedicated fund to provide stable, long-term investment in shipbuilding, shipyards, dry docks, and repair facilities. Potential funding sources include tariffs, fines, port fees, and other federal revenue streams.
Port Fees on Chinese-Linked Ships Ships flagged by China or built in Chinese shipyards may soon face significant docking fees at U.S. ports. The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is expected to finalize this remedy by mid-April. Allies will also be encouraged to implement similar restrictions.
Tariffs on Chinese-Made Cargo Equipment The order directs the USTR to consider imposing tariffs on ship-to-shore cranes and cargo handling gear manufactured or assembled in China—or made with Chinese-controlled components anywhere in the world.
Enforcement of Harbor Maintenance Fees To prevent workarounds, Homeland Security will crack down on companies trying to avoid U.S. fees by routing shipments through Mexico and Canada before transporting them across land borders.
Incentives for U.S. Shipyard Investment The executive order includes provisions for incentivizing private sector investment in new or revitalized U.S. shipyards, commercial ship components, and critical maritime infrastructure.
Why Americans Should Care
The United States currently produces less than 1% of the world’s commercial ships—while China builds about 50%. In 1999, China’s share was just 5%. This trend has massive implications not just for economic competitiveness, but for national security and maritime logistics.
As President Trump put it: “We used to build a ship a day, and now we don’t build a ship a year, practically. We have the capacity to do it.”
This executive order is more than policy—it’s a call to action.
Implications for the Navy
While the executive order does not explicitly mention the U.S. Navy, its impact on naval readiness and strategic capability is unmistakable. Revitalizing America’s commercial shipbuilding infrastructure strengthens the industrial base the Navy relies on for new construction, maintenance, and repairs. Investments in dry docks, skilled labor, and cargo handling capabilities bolster our ability to support fleet operations—especially in times of crisis.
Moreover, reducing reliance on Chinese-built shipping equipment and infrastructure directly supports U.S. naval strategy. It limits vulnerabilities in ports and logistics chains, while reinforcing America’s control over critical maritime assets. A stronger shipbuilding sector means a stronger Navy, even if it’s not named in the order.
Implications for Our Allies
The executive order sends a message to America’s allies: We are serious about maritime strength and expect partners to do the same. With Chinese-built vessels operating across global supply chains, coordinated action could limit strategic vulnerabilities and encourage diversified, allied-aligned shipping infrastructure.
A Statement from Americans for a Stronger Navy
“This executive order is a long-overdue step toward restoring our nation’s ability to build and maintain the ships we depend on for both commerce and defense. The Navy does not operate in a vacuum—it needs a healthy, resilient industrial base. America must lead again on the seas, not just militarily, but commercially. This is how we secure freedom of navigation, economic stability, and peace through strength.” — Bill Cullifer, founder, Americans for a Stronger Navy
Your Voice Matters
This is our moment. Let’s celebrate the executive order—but keep pushing until America leads on the seas again. Congress must act, industry must respond, and Americans must stay engaged.
At this year’s Sea-Air-Space Expo, a powerful message came through loud and clear: shipbuilding and repair aren’t just logistics or budgeting issues—they are strategic priorities. With the U.S. Navy facing growing demands across the Indo-Pacific and beyond, the ability to maintain and sustain our fleet has never been more important. One of the most important announcements at #SAS2025 came from NAVFAC leadership, who shared critical updates on the Navy’s long-term infrastructure plan: the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP).
What Is SIOP? The Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program is the Navy’s comprehensive, decades-long effort to modernize its four public shipyards: Norfolk, Pearl Harbor, Portsmouth, and Puget Sound. These yards are essential to maintaining our nuclear-powered fleet, and many of their facilities date back a century or more. SIOP aims to upgrade dry docks, replace aging infrastructure, optimize layout and workflow, and improve productivity and quality of service for 37,000 shipyard workers.
Why This Matters Fleet readiness is impossible without reliable infrastructure. Every day a ship sits idle in maintenance delays is a day it can’t defend our interests. As Rear Adm. Dean VanderLey of NAVFAC stated at #SAS2025, shore infrastructure is the foundation of American maritime power. And without modern, capable shipyards, our ability to project sea power and maintain naval dominance is at risk.
Smart Construction, Smarter Strategy SIOP isn’t just about fixing what’s broken. It’s about doing things better. NAVFAC leaders highlighted new strategies like early contractor involvement, modular/offsite construction, and industrialized building techniques—all aimed at delivering faster results at lower cost. For example, the dry dock at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard will require twice the concrete used to build the Pentagon. That’s a massive, multiyear undertaking—and it shows the scale and urgency of the mission.
A Civilian-Military Partnership Shipyard revitalization is more than a military investment. It represents an opportunity for public-private collaboration, workforce development, and industrial revitalization. It’s a call to rebuild America’s maritime edge with the help of skilled labor, advanced engineering, and modern project delivery.
Conclusion: Time to Stay Focused At Americans for a Stronger Navy, we believe this is the kind of long-term, bipartisan initiative that can reset the trajectory of our Navy and our civilian maritime capability. Shipbuilding is strategy. Repair is readiness. And shore support is the glue that holds it all together.
Let’s make sure SIOP gets the support, oversight, and public awareness it deserves.
We stand at a crossroads in our nation’s history—one that will determine the future of our Navy, our national security, and the very strength of our industrial base. The question before us is clear: Should we rebuild our naval shipbuilding capabilities here at home, seek foreign assistance, or attempt a hybrid approach?
This is not just a debate about policy. It’s a decision that affects every American—from those who serve at sea to the workers who build our ships, to the families and businesses that rely on safe and open trade routes secured by the U.S. Navy.
A Crisis Decades in the Making
The United States Navy, once unrivaled, now finds itself struggling to maintain a fleet large enough to meet global threats. At the same time, our domestic shipbuilding industry has shrunk to a fraction of its former strength.
Fewer Shipyards: During World War II, the U.S. built a ship a day. Now, we are lucky to produce a handful of warships per year due to limited shipyard capacity.
Aging Repair Facilities: The few remaining naval repair yards are overburdened and outdated, leading to costly maintenance delays.
Worker Shortages: The skilled workforce needed to build and maintain ships has dwindled, leaving shipyards struggling to meet demand.
Rising Threats: China now produces more naval tonnage every year than the U.S. does in a decade. Russia and other adversaries are also modernizing their fleets.
The urgency is real. The Navy’s shipbuilding plan is behind schedule, over budget, and falling short of strategic needs. Simply put, we need more ships, more shipyards, and more skilled workers to build and sustain them.
The Debate: Build Here, Look Abroad, or Both?
President-elect Donald Trump recently suggested leaning on allies to help build U.S. Navy ships. His words have sparked a debate with far-reaching consequences.
There are three paths forward:
1. Fully Rebuild U.S. Shipbuilding Capacity (America First Approach)
Invest in more shipyards and repair facilities to increase production.
Expand apprenticeship and workforce training programs to address skilled labor shortages.
Modernize naval infrastructure to improve efficiency and speed of delivery.
✅ Pros: Strengthens U.S. industry, creates jobs, ensures security. ❌ Cons: Takes time, requires significant investment.
2. Use Allied Shipyards for Basic Infrastructure (Hybrid Approach)
Partner with allies (e.g., Japan, South Korea, Italy) to build less complex vessels while reserving warship production for U.S. yards.
Temporarily relieve the burden on U.S. shipyards while domestic capacity is rebuilt.
✅ Pros: Speeds up production, allows time for U.S. shipbuilding expansion. ❌ Cons: Security risks, reliance on foreign suppliers, potential job losses.
Contract allied nations to build support ships and basic naval infrastructure abroad.
Focus U.S. shipyards solely on high-end warship production.
✅ Pros: Short-term boost in fleet numbers, cost savings. ❌ Cons: Weakens U.S. shipbuilding industry, risks foreign dependency.
What’s at Stake?
No matter which path we take, one fact remains: The U.S. Navy needs more ships—and we need them faster. The growing threats on the world stage do not wait for political debates or bureaucratic delays.
America must decide:
Do we commit to fully restoring our shipbuilding industry, investing in shipyards, repair facilities, and workforce training?
Do we pursue a temporary partnership with allies to fill immediate gaps?
Do we accept foreign-built support ships, potentially at the cost of domestic industry?
This is not just a decision for policymakers—it is a choice for every American. The strength of our Navy is the strength of our nation.
A Call to Action
We need a national shipbuilding strategy that prioritizes American security, economic resilience, and industrial strength.
Expand our domestic shipbuilding capacity.
Modernize and build more repair facilities.
Train and recruit more American workers to sustain naval readiness.
Ensure the Navy has the fleet it needs to protect global commerce and national security.
History shows us that when America builds, America wins. The decision before us will shape the Navy for generations to come. Let’s make sure it’s a future built on strength. Americans for a Stronger Navy StrongerNavy.org. Join the discussion on X.com/strongernavy
