President Trump’s proposed Navy buildup is, on paper, a boon for shipbuilding and the rest of the defense industrial base. But expanding from 275 ships to a fleet of 350, as Trump demanded on the campaign trail, is harder than simply ordering more ships.

The to-do list before shipbuilders can get to work includes clarity from the administration about the mix of ships it proposes. This comes down to a decision between a fleet based on carriers, like today’s but just bigger, or a fleet that relies more heavily on small surface combatants. Then Congress needs to reach a deal to boost defense spending with a budget request that neither party supports.