Real-Time Reform: How the Open Acquisition System Can Save U.S. Shipbuilding from Bureaucratic Complications

In his first major address to Congress during his second term, President Trump declared he would “resurrect American shipbuilding.” But only four months later, this promise has been “sputtering” amid internal disarray, budget confusion, and gutted maritime infrastructure offices (Berger). As policymakers and industry leaders raise alarms, the Open Acquisition Software (OAS) from nGAP Inc. offers a timely, technology-based solution to fix the very problems stalling progress. With real-time accounting and live auditing built into its framework, OAS can bring transparency, continuity, and operational clarity to a mission-critical industry.

A Fractured Revival Effort

While the administration talks about rebuilding American maritime strength, its own actions are undermining that effort. The government has paused key food-aid programs, closed offices, and proposed major budget cuts. The Department of Government Efficiency, for example, shuttered the Food for Peace program, eliminating “much-needed cargo—and revenue—for U.S.-flagged ships,” prompting fears of layoffs and ships being taken out of service (Berger).

Meanwhile, the White House claims it is boosting shipbuilding. Budget Director Russ Vought insists that “the total shipbuilding request for the coming year is $47.4 billion,” claiming the administration is using “both discretionary and mandatory spending on the One Big Beautiful bill to do it” (Berger). However, members of Congress see things differently. Senator Roger Wicker described the budget request as an effort to “game the budget” and warned that excluding two Navy destroyers “destabilizes industry, shows bad faith and slows our shipbuilding efforts” (Berger).

How OAS Solves the Accountability Crisis

OAS is designed precisely for such complex, high-risk government procurement environments. Its real-time accounting system prevents fiscal shell games by showing line-by-line where funds are allocated, committed, and disbursed—on demand. In a political environment where shipbuilding figures are debated and hard to verify, this type of visibility ensures “bad faith” efforts don’t go unnoticed or unchecked (Berger).

OAS's live auditing functionality is even more critical. By automatically logging every step of the procurement lifecycle—from initial requisition through obligation, contract award, and payment—it provides a permanent, immutable record of decisions. If implemented at the National Security Council’s new shipbuilding office, for example, this system could have preserved continuity even as the staff shrank from seven to two. As one former official noted: “If you remove them from the equation or reduce their size to two people, I just don’t see how you accomplish that [maritime] goal” (Berger).

Even in cases where leadership roles remain unfilled—such as the administration’s failure to confirm a Maritime Administration chief or appoint a Navy shipbuilding lead—OAS ensures the process doesn’t grind to a halt. Maritime specialist Brent Sadler warned that “there’s a probability things are going to get stalled before they get under way” (Berger). But with OAS, agency actions can continue because responsibilities and records are embedded in the software—not just in staff capacity.

Rebuilding Maritime Strength with Better Tools

The Trump administration’s executive order to “revitalize shipbuilding” and expand the U.S.-flagged fleet was meant to have a “huge impact” (Berger). But impact depends on execution. That execution is currently hampered by inconsistent policy, reduced coordination, and unreliable accounting. The solution isn’t just more funding or more promises—it’s better infrastructure for transparency and coordination.

OAS offers exactly that. By integrating contract writing, funding controls, performance milestones, and auditing tools into one real-time dashboard, OAS supports the kind of interagency collaboration and visibility that this national effort demands.

In short, if the U.S. wants to restore its maritime dominance, it must also modernize how it manages procurement and spending. OAS provides the digital backbone needed to replace bureaucracy with accountability.

Works Cited

Berger, Paul. “Trump’s Plan to Revive U.S. Shipping Stumbles.” The Wall Street Journal, 2 July 2025, www.wsj.com/articles/trumps-plan-to-revive-u-s-shipping-stumbles-cd855249.