The current administration and its predecessor have brought sustained attention to the urgent strategic problem of American shipbuilding, but a prospective deal for icebreakers could place this essential work in jeopardy.

On October 9, President Trump signed a memorandum of understanding with Finland for a “block buy” of U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers, with the first four to be built in Finnish shipyards followed by seven to be built in American ones. Jerry Hendrix, a longtime friend and colleague (and past contributor to this publication) who now leads the White House Shipbuilding Office, celebrated online that “President Trump’s command of the Art of the Deal was on full display” and suggested that the same model could allow foreign construction of U.S. Navy warships. However, Presi

See Full Page