Latest news with #CarlSchuster
Time of India
4 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Mysterious white balloons seen near North Korea's 5,000 ton sunken warship, what are they?
North Korean destroyer after it suffered a failed launch (Image credit: AP) North Korea might be using balloon-like structures around its most advanced and largest naval vessel, after last week's failed launch left 5,000-ton warship partially submerged. Satellite images from Maxar Technologies reveal over a dozen white, balloon-like objects have been deployed around the wreckage since 23 May. Experts are divided over the purpose of the balloons. Some believe they're being used to prevent further flooding or protect the vessel from surveillance. 'It looks like what appear to be balloons have been installed not to refloat the ship, but to prevent the ship from further flooding,' said South Korean lawmaker and military analyst Representative Yu Yong-weon. Retired US Navy Captain Carl Schuster suggested the balloons could serve dual purposes, either shielding the vessel from drone reconnaissance or relieving pressure on the hull where the destroyer is lodged awkwardly on the slipway. 'That is the area that is most likely to have been damaged, suffered the most severe damage and remains under intense stress while the forward area remains out of the water,' he said. Naval expert Nick Childs from the International Institute for Strategic Studies warned that using balloons to lift the ship could risk making the situation worse. 'It is highly likely that the ship is under quite a lot of stress anyway,' Childs said, adding that normal approach would be to create buoyancy below and then lift gradually. Despite North Korean media downplaying the extent of the damage, analysts remain sceptical. KCNA previously claimed the hull remained intact and estimated repairs would take just 10 days. But Schuster noted that the effort could stretch to six months depending on internal damage, seawater ingress, and corrosion. The ship's position—partly on land and partly submerged, further complicates the salvage operation. 'Having it half in and half out of the water is basically the worst possible situation,' said Decker Eveleth, a defence researcher with CNA. 'If you try to pull the sunken half out, you're risking twisting and breaking the keel. And if you do that, the whole ship is junk.' Experts say North Korea may ultimately need to dismantle parts of the destroyer to remove it safely. 'Very often the only way you clear the dock … is to dismantle at least part of the ship to make the operation easier, right what you have left and tow it away and make a decision on whether you rebuild it or scrap it.' The 5,000-ton destroyer was meant to be a symbol of North Korea's ambitious naval modernisation. However, a malfunction during its launch at a shipyard in the northeastern city of Chongjin caused the stern to slide prematurely into the water, damaging the hull and leaving the bow stranded on land. In a rare admission of failure, state media KCNA reported the mishap, quoting leader Kim Jong Un who called it a 'criminal act' and demanded urgent repairs before a late-June party meeting, describing the mission as a matter of national honour, as per CNN. Since the incident, four individuals including the shipyard's chief engineer have reportedly been detained.
CNN
08-04-2025
- Business
- CNN
US and South Korean warship makers sign deal that could help narrow naval race with China
America's largest military shipbuilder has signed a deal with a South Korean company that experts say could be a big step in helping the US Navy build new warships to keep pace with rival China in fleet size. Virginia-based HII (Huntington Ingalls Industries) and South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries inked the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Monday at a defense exhibition in Maryland. 'Today's agreement reflects our commitment to explore all opportunities to expand US shipbuilding capacity in support of national security,' HII Executive Vice President Brian Blanchette said at a ceremony at the Sea Air Space 2025 exposition. 'By working with our shipbuilding allies and sharing best practices, we believe this MOU offers real potential to help accelerate delivery of quality ships.' A Hyundai Heavy Industries statement noted that both HII and the South Korean shipyard build Aegis destroyers, the backbones of the US and South Korean surface fleets. Aegis ships provide protection against missile threats, including powerful ballistic missiles in the arsenals of rivals China and North Korea. 'This MOU is particularly significant as it marks the first collaboration between two leading shipbuilding companies from Korea and the US, both of which have the capability to construct the world's most advanced Aegis ships,' the statement said. Hyundai Heavy Industries operates the world's largest shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, and it builds 10% of the world's ships, according to the company's website. Analysts have long called for the US to take steps with allies like South Korea and Japan to cooperate on naval shipbuilding as Chinese shipyards have been churning out warships at breakneck speed, giving the People's Liberation Army Navy the world's largest fleet. Meanwhile, Washington has failed to keep pace, due in large part to limited capacity in shipyard space and insufficient workers in the US. 'This agreement is a strong start towards alleviating the impact of America's shortfall in shipbuilding capacity,' said Hawaii-based analyst Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain. Schuster said while changes would be needed to US law to enable the South Korean shipyard to begin fully constructing destroyers for the US Navy, the pact signed Monday could yield immediate benefits. '(US) law does not prohibit using foreign yards to repair and do maintenance on US Navy ships, and we have a 36-month backlog on shipyard maintenance and hull refurbishment,' he said. Another South Korean shipyard, Hanwha Ocean, last month completed a seven-month overhaul of a US Military Sealift Command supply ship, the USNS Wally Schirra, a feat a US Navy admiral called a 'landmark achievement.' 'Maintenance in Theater reduces downtime and costs, while enhancing operational readiness,' Rear Adm. Neil Koprowski, commander of US Naval Forces Korea, said in a statement. But cooperation between the builders of Aegis destroyers takes the alliance to a higher level. 'We aim to enhance the shipbuilding capacities and capabilities of both nations and, furthermore, to contribute to the strengthening of bilateral security cooperation,' said Joo Wonho, chief executive of naval and special shipbuilding at Hyundai Heavy, in a statement. South Korean lawmaker Yu Yong-weon called the deal 'a new win-win model of shipbuilding and defense industry cooperation between South Korea and the United States.' 'With Korean shipyards directly participating in the enhancement of US naval power, it is also expected to contribute to ROK-US security cooperation, including efforts to keep China in check,' Yu said. ROK stands for Republic of Korea. Schuster sees another big benefit from the deal. 'Hyundai and Huntington can use the agreement to train new American workers for HII's shipyards. A labor shortage is the primary limiting factor in America's shipyard capacity,' he said. If it can eventually be worked out that warships for the US Navy could be built in South Korea, the impact could be even more substantial. Woo-man Jeong, Hyundai Heavy's specialized ship business division managing director, told South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper last month that his company could build five or more Aegis destroyers a year. US shipyards average two or fewer destroyers built per year. The HII-Hyundai deal follows a big investment in US-based shipbuilding last year by Hanwha Ocean, when it purchased Philly Shipyard, which builds mainly commercial vessels but also does maintenance and repair work on government vessels. Bence Nemeth, a senior lecturer at King's College London, said after the Philly Shipyard deal that US-South Korea shipbuilding cooperation benefits the security of both countries. 'In the short term, the US Navy will benefit from increased availability of ships, and in the medium term, it could accelerate the growth of its fleet. This can help Washington maintain its global maritime dominance,' Nemeth wrote on the Korea Institute for Maritime Strategy's website. 'A strong U.S. Navy is also crucial for South Korean national security, as it helps deter North Korean aggression,' Nemeth said. CNN's Gawon Bae contributed to this report.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US, South Korean warship makers sign deal that could help narrow naval race with China
America's largest military shipbuilder has signed a deal with a South Korean company that experts say could be a big step in helping the US Navy build new warships to keep pace with rival China in fleet size. Virginia-based HII (Huntington Ingalls Industries) and South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries inked the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Monday at a defense exhibition in Maryland. 'Today's agreement reflects our commitment to explore all opportunities to expand US shipbuilding capacity in support of national security,' HII Executive Vice President Brian Blanchette said at a ceremony at the Sea Air Space 2025 exposition. 'By working with our shipbuilding allies and sharing best practices, we believe this MOU offers real potential to help accelerate delivery of quality ships.' A Hyundai Heavy Industries statement noted that both HII and the South Korean shipyard build Aegis destroyers, the backbones of the US and South Korean surface fleets. Aegis ships provide protection against missile threats, including powerful ballistic missiles in the arsenals of rivals China and North Korea. 'This MOU is particularly significant as it marks the first collaboration between two leading shipbuilding companies from Korea and the US, both of which have the capability to construct the world's most advanced Aegis ships,' the statement said. Hyundai Heavy Industries operates the world's largest shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, and it builds 10% of the world's ships, according to the company's website. Analysts have long called for the US to take steps with allies like South Korea and Japan to cooperate on naval shipbuilding as Chinese shipyards have been churning out warships at breakneck speed, giving the People's Liberation Army Navy the world's largest fleet. Meanwhile, Washington has failed to keep pace, due in large part to limited capacity in shipyard space and insufficient workers in the US. 'This agreement is a strong start towards alleviating the impact of America's shortfall in shipbuilding capacity,' said Hawaii-based analyst Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain. Schuster said while changes would be needed to US law to enable the South Korean shipyard to begin fully constructing destroyers for the US Navy, the pact signed Monday could yield immediate benefits. '(US) law does not prohibit using foreign yards to repair and do maintenance on US Navy ships, and we have a 36-month backlog on shipyard maintenance and hull refurbishment,' he said. Another South Korean shipyard, Hanwha Ocean, last month completed a seven-month overhaul of a US Military Sealift Command supply ship, the USNS Wally Schirra, a feat a US Navy admiral called a 'landmark achievement.' 'Maintenance in Theater reduces downtime and costs, while enhancing operational readiness,' Rear Adm. Neil Koprowski, commander of US Naval Forces Korea, said in a statement. But cooperation between the builders of Aegis destroyers takes the alliance to a higher level. 'We aim to enhance the shipbuilding capacities and capabilities of both nations and, furthermore, to contribute to the strengthening of bilateral security cooperation,' said Joo Wonho, chief executive of naval and special shipbuilding at Hyundai Heavy, in a statement. Schuster sees another big benefit from the deal. 'Hyundai and Huntington can use the agreement to train new American workers for HII's shipyards. A labor shortage is the primary limiting factor in America's shipyard capacity,' he said. If it can eventually be worked out that warships for the US Navy could be built in South Korea, the impact could be even more substantial. Woo-man Jeong, Hyundai Heavy's specialized ship business division managing director, told South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper last month that his company could build five or more Aegis destroyers a year. US shipyards average two or fewer destroyers built per year. The HII-Hyundai deal follows a big investment in US-based shipbuilding last year by Hanwha Ocean, when it purchased Philly Shipyard, which builds mainly commercial vessels but also does maintenance and repair work on government vessels. Bence Nemeth, a senior lecturer at King's College London, said after the Philly Shipyard deal that US-South Korea shipbuilding cooperation benefits the security of both countries. 'In the short term, the US Navy will benefit from increased availability of ships, and in the medium term, it could accelerate the growth of its fleet. This can help Washington maintain its global maritime dominance,' Nemeth wrote on the Korea Institute for Maritime Strategy's website. 'A strong U.S. Navy is also crucial for South Korean national security, as it helps deter North Korean aggression,' Nemeth said. CNN's Gawon Bae contributed to this report.
CNN
08-04-2025
- Business
- CNN
US, South Korea warship makers sign deal that could help narrow naval race with China
America's largest military shipbuilder has signed a deal with a South Korean company that experts say could be a big step in helping the US Navy build new warships to keep pace with rival China in fleet size. Virginia-based HII (Huntington Ingalls Industries) and South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries inked the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Monday at a defense exhibition in Maryland. 'Today's agreement reflects our commitment to explore all opportunities to expand US shipbuilding capacity in support of national security,' HII Executive Vice President Brian Blanchette said at a ceremony at the Sea Air Space 2025 exposition. 'By working with our shipbuilding allies and sharing best practices, we believe this MOU offers real potential to help accelerate delivery of quality ships.' A Hyundai Heavy Industries statement noted that both HII and the South Korean shipyard build Aegis destroyers, the backbones of the US and South Korean surface fleets. Aegis ships provide protection against missile threats, including powerful ballistic missiles in the arsenals of rivals China and North Korea. 'This MOU is particularly significant as it marks the first collaboration between two leading shipbuilding companies from Korea and the US, both of which have the capability to construct the world's most advanced Aegis ships,' the statement said. Hyundai Heavy Industries operates the world's largest shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, and it builds 10% of the world's ships, according to the company's website. Analysts have long called for the US to take steps with allies like South Korea and Japan to cooperate on naval shipbuilding as Chinese shipyards have been churning out warships at breakneck speed, giving the People's Liberation Army Navy the world's largest fleet. Meanwhile, Washington has failed to keep pace, due in large part to limited capacity in shipyard space and insufficient workers in the US. 'This agreement is a strong start towards alleviating the impact of America's shortfall in shipbuilding capacity,' said Hawaii-based analyst Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain. Schuster said while changes would be needed to US law to enable the South Korean shipyard to begin fully constructing destroyers for the US Navy, the pact signed Monday could yield immediate benefits. '(US) law does not prohibit using foreign yards to repair and do maintenance on US Navy ships, and we have a 36-month backlog on shipyard maintenance and hull refurbishment,' he said. Another South Korean shipyard, Hanwha Ocean, last month completed a seven-month overhaul of a US Military Sealift Command supply ship, the USNS Wally Schirra, a feat a US Navy admiral called a 'landmark achievement.' 'Maintenance in Theater reduces downtime and costs, while enhancing operational readiness,' Rear Adm. Neil Koprowski, commander of US Naval Forces Korea, said in a statement. But cooperation between the builders of Aegis destroyers takes the alliance to a higher level. 'We aim to enhance the shipbuilding capacities and capabilities of both nations and, furthermore, to contribute to the strengthening of bilateral security cooperation,' said Joo Wonho, chief executive of naval and special shipbuilding at Hyundai Heavy, in a statement. Schuster sees another big benefit from the deal. 'Hyundai and Huntington can use the agreement to train new American workers for HII's shipyards. A labor shortage is the primary limiting factor in America's shipyard capacity,' he said. If it can eventually be worked out that warships for the US Navy could be built in South Korea, the impact could be even more substantial. Woo-man Jeong, Hyundai Heavy's specialized ship business division managing director, told South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper last month that his company could build five or more Aegis destroyers a year. US shipyards average two or fewer destroyers built per year. The HII-Hyundai deal follows a big investment in US-based shipbuilding last year by Hanwha Ocean, when it purchased Philly Shipyard, which builds mainly commercial vessels but also does maintenance and repair work on government vessels. Bence Nemeth, a senior lecturer at King's College London, said after the Philly Shipyard deal that US-South Korea shipbuilding cooperation benefits the security of both countries. 'In the short term, the US Navy will benefit from increased availability of ships, and in the medium term, it could accelerate the growth of its fleet. This can help Washington maintain its global maritime dominance,' Nemeth wrote on the Korea Institute for Maritime Strategy's website. 'A strong U.S. Navy is also crucial for South Korean national security, as it helps deter North Korean aggression,' Nemeth said. CNN's Gawon Bae contributed to this report.
CNN
17-02-2025
- General
- CNN
New photos show damage to US aircraft carrier after collision
New photos show the damage to a US Navy aircraft carrier sustained in a collision with a merchant ship last week. The warship USS Harry S. Truman docked at a US naval facility in Souda Bay, Greece, for repairs over the weekend following the incident near the entrance to the Suez Canal. Photos released by the Navy on Saturday show damage to the exterior starboard quarter of the 1,100-foot-long, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Damaged areas included 'the exterior wall of two storage rooms and a maintenance space … a line handling space, the fantail, and the platform above one of the storage spaces,' the Navy said in a statement. None of the damage affects the ship's combat capability, the statement said, adding that it has conducted flight operations since the accident last Wednesday night. A team including structural engineers and naval architects is conducting a detailed assessment of the damage and would implement a repair plan, the Navy said, without offering a timetable for the repairs. The Truman collided with the Besiktas-M, a Panamanian-flagged, 617-foot (188-meter) long bulk carrier, in the crowded waters near the Suez Canal off Egypt's Port Said in the Mediterranean Sea. The merchant ship was also damaged, but no injuries were reported on either vessel, the Navy said following the collision near a crowded anchorage for ships transiting the canal. Former US Navy captain Carl Schuster, an instructor at Hawaii Pacific University, said such conditions leave little room for error. 'There is not a lot of room for maneuvering in a restricted seaway, and both ships require about one nautical mile to stop,' Schuster said. Small navigation mistakes, misreading of the other ship's intentions or delayed decision-making from the crew of either ship could have put them in danger quickly 'with very few viable options,' Schuster said. Before the accident, the Truman was in Souda Bay for a 'working port visit' after two months of combat operations in the Central Command region, a Navy statement said. During that time, it conducted multiple strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen and launched airstrikes against ISIS in Somalia, the Navy said. Rear Adm. Sean Bailey, commander of the Truman's carrier strike group, which includes a guided-missile cruiser and three destroyers, said it remains operational across the region. 'Our mission has not changed and we remain committed to responding to any challenge in this dynamic and global security environment,' Bailey said in a statement.
