Trump announces major submarine shipyard plan at former Bethlehem Steel site in Sparrows Point
By Tommie Clark
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SPARROWS POINT, Maryland (WBAL) — President Donald Trump visited Maryland on Tuesday to announce a project that’s expected to support 14,000 jobs and become the state’s largest job creator in over a decade.
The president toured Tradepoint Atlantic with Anduril Industries, a defense technology firm in Sparrows Point, and announced that the former Bethlehem Steel site will be turned into a 2-million-square-foot shipyard to build components for Virginia-class attack submarines.
According to a media briefing, the components include torpedo tubes, sterns and bow sections, and will be built at the Sparrows Point site. Anduril said it will use advanced manufacturing and software to build submarine components and large assemblies at Sparrows Point and send them to the Navy’s two main submarine builders for final assembly.
“In a tremendous victory for our country and for the city of Baltimore,” Trump said. “Anduril is investing $3.7 billion in a state-of-the-art shipyard that will be known forever as Arsenal-2. It’s one of the biggest and one of the most significant shipyards anywhere in the world and will be as significant as any.”
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said this will be the largest private investment in the state in more than a decade. The Navy contract is worth up to $2.9 billion, while Anduril is putting in $3.7 billion of private investment — the largest single private investment in Maryland.
“With this facility, thousands of Marylanders will have new pathways to work, wages, and wealth through advanced training and high-skilled maritime manufacturing jobs,” said Moore. “We thank Anduril for choosing Maryland, and we’re ready to build the future of the aerospace and defense economy together.”
The facility is expected to support 14,000 jobs, including the creation of 3,100 permanent jobs. Over a decade, Arsenal-2, the name of the new industrial base, will become the state’s largest job creator.
“For generations, this site shaped America’s steel and shipbuilding legacy, including its critical role during World War II, when workers here built the vessels that helped defend our nation,” Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier said in a statement.
The company said site preparation and permitting will begin immediately, and construction will start after the necessary approvals with initial operations expected in 2030. The timeline leaves several years to build the facility and train the workforce.
“With Arsenal-2, Anduril will return large-scale shipbuilding to a site that can once again define American naval power. This facility will make Baltimore County a critical part of America’s submarine industrial base, adding the production capacity that the Navy needs to meet its Virginia-class requirements,” said Brian Schimpf, Anduril cofounder and CEO.
Under the agreement, the state and Baltimore County will match up to 13% of the anticipated investment through existing economic incentive programs and new appropriations.
The state would also support the construction of a workforce training facility near Tradepoint Atlantic. Anduril said it’s already developing manufacturing methods and training workers at a facility in California.
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