US plans to increase sea power against China’s naval battleship fleet

The North American country is seeking support from its allies in Asia to improve its capabilities as China makes increasingly accelerated advances.

In February 2024, Secretary of the Navy USA Carlos del Toro, went to South Korea And Japan to start conversations with representatives from the naval industry and the defense sector.

His visit took place amid concerns in the North American country, due to the maritime power that it possesses China .

One of the points that attracts the most attention is the possibility of the Asian country attacking Taiwan .

It should be recalled that the said island territory is located in an area of ​​high strategic importance both from a commercial point of view and from a geopolitical and military point of view.

President Joe Biden himself has said that The United States would defend Taiwan against a offensive from China.

For their part, the forces commanded by Beijing have stepped up military exercises in the South China Sea, which is seen as a threat by the Taiwanese authorities.

The government led by Xi Jinping considers Taiwan as part of China .

And while the United States does not recognize Taiwan as an independent state, it maintains informal ties with its authorities and has expressed against the territory governed by the People’s Republic of China (RPC).

During his trip in February, Del Toro visited the Ulsan shipyard of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and another one run by Hanwha Ocean both in South Korea.

Also He went to the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries repair shop. in Yokohama, Japan.

According to the statements recovered by the The Wall Street Journal his request was clear: “Investing in the United States” .

American ship
The US plan to increase its sea power against China’s naval battleship fleet. Photo: The US ship USNS Wally Schirra being overhauled by Hanwha Ocean in South Korea.

What is the US plan to compete with Chinese naval power?

The interest of these companies is that They have extensive shipbuilding capabilities, an area in which the North American country lags behind. .

Companies like the ones mentioned are in direct competition with other Chinese companies and can fulfill two fundamental tasks: build ships quickly and cheaply with the support of new, more efficient technologies.

The United States currently cannot achieve these goals. turned to their allies in South Korea and Japan for support .

Today, the fleet of warships of China outnumbers the US Navy .

Actually, Most of the world’s ship production in 2023 came from this Asian country .

South Korea ranks second with about a quarter of deliveries worldwide, according to figures collected by the aforementioned media.

Lee Sang-bong, an executive at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, showed Del Toro a specimen named “Jeongjo the Great” in honor of a Korean king who reigned in the 18th century.

The company’s representative, in charge of designing military ships, explained that This is a unit manufactured with several original American parts .

Among them are: a combat system developed by Lockheed Martin missiles supplied by Raytheon’s RTX and a gas turbine produced by GE.

“Basically, it’s an American warship.” Lee Sang-bong said, according to the Journal.

However, it is estimated that Building this ship in the United States would mean more than double the value and its construction time would be about a third longer.

However, currently the North American country You can’t build such units in factories like Ulsan in South Korea.

This is because the law states that US ships must be built on US soil .

However, yes They can form partnerships with foreign manufacturers to carry out maintenance, training and consultancy tasks.

Building U.S. military ships overseas This would only be possible in two ways: through a presidential exemption for national security reasons or through legislative change. .

In this regard, Lee Sang-bong said: “If we have the opportunity, we can build a very good ship for the U.S. Navy.” .

According to a report by the US Congress presented in November 2023, China, South Korea and Japan produce ships that account for more than 90% of the world’s tonnage. .

On the other hand, The United States builds only 0.2% .

Another report from the US Congress to be presented in April 2024 raised that the North American country must expand relations with allies to ‘reverse decline in sea power’ which they were confronted with.

Retired US Navy officer and research group member Hudson Institute Bryan Clark explained to the Journal that The gap in shipbuilding capacity with China “is probably too large to close at the moment.” .

The firm specializing in defense, Jeanne suppose that Global spending on military ships to reach $95 billion by end of 2024 .

This amount also includes maintenance services .

Alongside this, in its projections They estimate that this figure will reach more than $112 billion by 2030. .

As the Journal reports, The two South Korean companies mentioned above have already received permission to carry out work. maintenance, repair and operation of certain United States Navy vessels.

Indeed, on September 2, 2024, one of these ships called USNS Wally Schirra Arrives at Hanwha Shipyard for Overhaul which will take three months.

Similarly, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, which is independent of Hyundai Automobiles, is planning to carry out repair projects in the coming months .

Hanwha also announced in June that They plan to buy the Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia in the United States.

The acquisition amount would be approximately $100 million and They hope to close the deal in November. the company reported.

Del Toro said in August that Hanwha, With the acquisition, it hopes to double the size of Philadelphia’s roster, in addition to quadrupling its construction. both naval and commercial.

“I hope Hanwha will be fair the first in a long line of world-class shipbuilders let them come to the United States,” the U.S. Navy secretary said in a speech, according to the Journal.

Along with this, the North American and Asian country They seek to generate exchange programs such as the one already approved between Seoul National University and the University of Michigan.

The goal is so that participants can deepen their knowledge on naval architecture and maritime engineering.

Sources from the Japanese Defense Ministry confirmed to the aforementioned newspaper that U.S. and Japanese officials discussed possible improvements in the maintenance of their warships in June. .

However, They did not provide further details. about these dialogues.

Source: Latercera

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