Donald Trump announced the opening of a new $6.6 billion shipbuilding factory in Baltimore on Tuesday. The project will be partly funded by the US government but is owned by Anduril Industries, a defense company founded by prominent GOP donor Palmer Luckey.
Background
Trump's appearance at the currently unused shipyard in Sparrows Point is a significant boost for Anduril. Luckey, who has hosted campaign fundraisers for at least 20 Republican politicians, including Trump, has contributed $5.9 million to Republican causes since 2017. Recently, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appointed Luckey as an adviser to the Pentagon’s new initiative, Project Meridien, which focuses on the future of warfare.
Key Details
At the event in Maryland, Trump referred to Luckey as "a friend of mine" and a "brilliant guy," although Luckey was not present. The shipyard project is funded by $2.9 billion from the US Navy and $3.7 billion in private funding. The new factory, named Arsenal Two, will manufacture torpedo tubes and other components for Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines.
