Don’t give up the shipyards

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 an