President Donald Trump announced Tuesday the launch of construction on a Maryland shipyard backed by a $3.7 billion investment from defense company Anduril, calling it the largest new shipyard in the United States since World War II.
“We’re officially launching the construction of the largest new shipyard in the United States since WWII,” said Trump. “Anduril is investing $3.7 billion in a state-of-the-art shipyard that will be known forever.”
The facility, planned for Sparrows Point in Baltimore County, will manufacture components for the Navy’s Virginia-class attack submarines. The Navy awarded Anduril a $2.9 billion contract tied to “demonstrated production outcomes.”
Anduril founder Palmer Luckey said, “This space needs bold investment and decisive action.”
“We are way behind at precisely the moment we need to be surging forward. Our country cannot meet our own demand, much less demand from allies,” Luckey said. “Anduril will do our level best to solve this.”
Trump cast the project as part of a broader effort to revive American shipbuilding.
“What we’re doing this afternoon is part of a dramatic turnaround for America and our defense industrial base…Not so long ago, we built as many as four ships a day… More recently, it has taken an average of 7-15 years,” Trump said.
The investment comes after continuous combat operations and extended deployments have strained the Navy’s fleet. A recent U.S. Naval Institute report found that the Navy was sustaining more than a dozen guided-missile destroyers, along with aircraft carriers, to support operations in the Middle East.
John Polowczyk, president of the Virginia Ship Repair Association, warned that extended deployments are forcing ships to miss scheduled maintenance while leaving repair workers with less work.
“There’s less work because some of these ships would have been in and awarded contracts for continuous maintenance,” he told Forbes.
The shipyard announcement drew bipartisan support, with Democrats and Republicans praising the project’s potential to strengthen the Navy and boost Maryland’s economy.
“This investment will be a huge economic boost to our region – adding over 13,000 jobs – and it will support the Navy’s efforts to increase production and advance their submarine technology,” Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) said.
Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) credited the One Big Beautiful Bill with laying the groundwork for the investment.
“Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill, which laid the groundwork for efforts like this to expand our defense industrial base in Maryland, adding thousands of good-paying jobs in the state while providing the best weaponry possible for our men and women in uniform,” Harris said.
Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore called the project historic for the state.
“This massive new project will deliver the largest private investment, drive billions of dollars in economic activity, and create the most jobs in Maryland in history,” Moore said.
.png)
.png)
