WASHINGTON - The Trump administration released "America’s Maritime Action Plan" last week, a 44-page blueprint designed to overhaul the nation’s commercial shipbuilding and maritime capabilities. The plan, which follows an executive order signed last April, focuses on three primary pillars: strengthening domestic shipbuilding, expanding the merchant mariner workforce, and implementing regulatory reforms to prioritize U.S.-built and U.S.-flagged vessels. White House officials described the maritime sector as a "crucial industry" for national security, but fewer than 1 percent of new commercial ships are currently built in the United States.

A central component of the strategy involves significant investments in infrastructure and military acquisition. The plan calls for upgrades to commercial and public shipyards, including the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and the recapitalization of government-owned sealift vessels. Key milestones highlighted by officials include new contracts with Finland to construct 11 polar icebreakers for the Coast Guard, a move intended to bolster the Arctic fleet. Furthermore, the administration proposed creating a Maritime Security Trust Fund and "Maritime Prosperity Zones" to facilitate domestic and allied investment.

To address labor shortages and international competition, the administration aims to modernize the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and establish a "Military to Mariner" program to transition veterans into the industry. The plan also introduces a "Land Port Maintenance Tax" and potential fees on foreign-built vessels to "level the playing field" for domestic ports. While some reforms can be enacted via agency action, the White House acknowledged that several initiatives will require congressional approval and noted that funding requests will be included in the forthcoming Fiscal Year 2027 budget.

Source: USNI
Associated URL: https://news.usni.org/2026/02/13/trump-administration-details-make-shipbuilding-great-again-effort-in-new-action-plan

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The U.S.' most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), is currently underway in the Atlantic Ocean on a deployment to the Middle East, reports USNI News. The carrier, previously involved in U.S. action against Venezuela, is en route to the Straits of Gibraltar after being reassigned from its role with the 4th Fleet in the Caribbean Sea.

Once in the Middle Eastern region, the Gerald Ford will join the Nimitz-class carrier Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), currently operating in the Arabian Sea. The U.S. has not deployed two carriers to the region since summer 2025, when both the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) were present in the region after the U.S. conducted airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities as part of Operation Midnight Hammer.

The current dual deployment reflects escalating tensions between the United States and Israel and regional rival Iran. The deployments may be a show of force or a prelude to another round of combat between Tehran and the two allies.

If the Gerald Ford remains deployed through mid-April, it could break the Navy's post-Vietnam War 294-day carrier deployment record, set by the Abraham Lincoln in 2020.

Source: USNI News
Associated URL: https://news.usni.org/2026/02/17/carrier-uss-gerald-r-ford-sailing-in-the-atlantic-headed-for-strait-of-gibraltar
Author: mallory shelbourne 

SAN DIEGO - Secretary of the Navy John Phelan announced that he expects the service's fiscal year 2027 budget request to more than double the ship count compared to the FY26 request. Speaking at the WEST 2026 conference, Phelan indicated that the upcoming proposal will lean heavily on auxiliary and support vessels, which he described as essential for upgrading the fleet and revitalizing the domestic maritime industrial base.

The projected increase follows a combined FY26 funding effort that sought 19 hulls at a cost of $47.3 billion. Phelan noted that focusing on auxiliary ships provides a streamlined path for industrial growth, as these vessels are less complex to manufacture than nuclear-powered or electronics-intensive combatants. This expansion is a pillar of the administration’s "Golden Fleet" initiative, which aims to address decades of decline in naval manufacturing through a "high-low" acquisition strategy.

Source: USNI
Associated URL: https://news.usni.org/2026/02/12/secnav-phelan-fy-2027-shipbuilding-budget-could-be-more-than-double-2026-ship-total