US President Pledges Renewed Domestic Focus On Shipbuilding And Military Recruitment

An expansion of American shipbuilding to support both the U.S. military and the commercial sector has been pledged by President Donald J. Trump.

On Tuesday during his first address to a joint session of Congress since winning a second term, President Trump promised tax breaks to help kickstart a wave of ship construction.

He said: “We are also going to resurrect the American shipbuilding industry, including commercial shipbuilding and military shipbuilding." 

He continued: "I am announcing tonight that we will create a new Office of Shipbuilding in the White House and offer special tax incentives to bring this industry home to America, where it belongs."

Expanding on the point, he added: “We used to make so many ships. We don't make them anymore, very much. But we're going to make them very fast, very soon." 

Elsewhere during a lengthy speech he claimed changes he'd made since his inauguration in January had enhanced military recruitment, adding: “I am pleased to report that in January, the U.S. Army had its single best recruiting month in 15 years.”

He also promised to pursue a “Golden Dome” ballistic missile defence strategy, remarking: “My focus is on building the most powerful military of the future.

"As a first step, I'm asking Congress to fund a state-of-the-art, 'Golden Dome' missile defense shield to protect our homeland — all made in the USA." 

• You can read more details of the speech on the U.S. Department of Defense website