Trump Launches 1,000 Ships. Maybe

Most of President Trump’s speech to Congress on Tuesday replayed his greatest political hits, but one new and notable idea did make an appearance: an American shipbuilding renaissance. A revival of U.S. naval power is essential for restoring deterrence, but it will require more defense spending and collaboration with U.S. allies.

“We used to make so many ships,” Mr. Trump rightly lamented on Tuesday. “We don’t make them anymore very much, but we’re going to make them very fast, very soon. It will have a huge impact.” He announced a new White House office focused on shipbuilding, and the effort appears to include military and commercial ships. His proposal for a tax incentive for building ships is far better than his other speech brainstorm of a new tax write-off for interest on car loans. But his “very fast, very soon” vow won’t be easy to deliver.

The U.S. Navy is at least 50 ships too small for the world’s threats, and that’s not the worst news. “Just about every major shipbuilding program is behind schedule, over budget, or irreparably off track,” Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker said at a recent hearing for Mr. Trump’s Navy secretary.

Take attack submarines, which can lurk undetected and strike rapidly and are America’s ace in the hole against an ever-expanding Chinese fleet. The U.S. is producing about 1.2 to 1.4 subs a year. That’s insufficient for the U.S. Navy’s goal of 66 hulls from 49 today, let alone for selling as many as five to the Australians as promised under the Aukus deal that includes the U.K.