Latest news with #USNSWallySchirra
Korea Herald
7 hours ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
US senators visit Seoul ahead of Lee-Trump summit
South Korea's Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back met Monday with US Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Democrat of Illinois, at the ministry headquarters in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul. She travels with Sen. Andy Kim of New Jersey, who held a separate meeting with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik in Yeouido, Seoul, earlier the same day. Their visit takes place ahead of President Lee Jae Myung's first summit with US President Donald Trump in Washington later this month, where the future of the alliance, US troop levels in Korea, defense cost-sharing and new areas of industrial cooperation are expected to be on the agenda. According to the Defense Ministry, Ahn and Duckworth reviewed the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and broader alliance development. Ahn stressed that US congressional backing was "essential for the advancement of the South Korea-US alliance" and called for "continued interest from Congress to reinforce combined defense readiness and strengthen the credibility of extended deterrence." Duckworth reaffirmed the US commitment to its forces stationed in Korea. "US Forces Korea remain a cornerstone of deterrence against North Korea and of peace and stability on the peninsula," she said, pledging active congressional support to sustain their role. She and Ahn also agreed to expand cooperation in shipbuilding, maintenance, repair and overhaul, and the defense industry. The US senators' trip comes as Washington looks to tap the shipbuilding capacity of South Korea and Japan, the world's second- and third-largest shipbuilders, to compensate for America's industrial decline. According to the US Center for Strategic and International Studies, US commercial shipbuilding accounted for just 0.1 percent of global output in 2024, compared with 53 percent for China. Duckworth, who also serves as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, previously warned in a recent interview with the Associated Press that US naval support capabilities have fallen below the levels of the 2003 Iraq War, saying "we have to rebuild the capacity" while current facilities are aging and increasingly costly to maintain. "If we have to bring ships all the way back to the United States to wait two years to be fixed, that doesn't help the situation," she said. South Korean shipbuilders are already engaging with the US Navy. Hanwha Ocean in March completed maintenance on the 41,000-ton USNS Wally Schirra, its first project under a 2024 repair agreement. Hanwha also owns Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, while HD Hyundai Heavy Industries signed a maintenance support agreement with the US Navy in May and discussed possible investments in US yards. In recent trade talks, Seoul proposed investing $150 billion in the US shipbuilding industry as part of what it called the "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again" initiative, tying cooperation in shipyards to broader alliance discussions with Washington.
Yomiuri Shimbun
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
US Seeks Shipbuilding Expertise from South Korea and Japan to Counter China
WASHINGTON (AP) — American lawmakers are using a trip to South Korea and Japan to explore how the United States can tap those allies' shipbuilding expertise and capacity to help boost its own capabilities, which are dwarfed by those of China. Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Andy Kim, D-N.J., who are scheduled to land in Seoul on Sunday before traveling to Japan, plan to meet top shipbuilders from the world's second- and third-largest shipbuilding countries. The senators want to examine the possibilities of forming joint ventures to construct and repair noncombatant vessels for the U.S. Navy in the Indo-Pacific and bring investments to American shipyards. 'We already have fewer capacity now than we did during Operation Iraqi Freedom' in 2003, Duckworth told The Associated Press. 'We have to rebuild the capacity. At the same time, what capacity we have is aging and breaking down and taking longer and more expensive to fix.' Their trip comes as President Donald Trump demands a plan to revive U.S. shipyards and engage foreign partners. The Pentagon is seeking $47 billion for shipbuilding in its annual budget. The urgency stems from the fact that Washington severely lags behind China in building naval ships, a situation raising alarms among policymakers who worry the maritime balance of power could shift to China, now the world's No. 1 shipbuilder. Duckworth, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said she hopes the trip could lead to joint ventures among the U.S. military, American companies and foreign partners to build auxiliary vessels for the Navy and small boats for the Army. Another possibility is repairing U.S. ships in the Indo-Pacific region. 'If we have to bring ships all the way back to the United States … to wait two years to be fixed, that doesn't help the situation,' Duckworth said. The discussions, she said, will focus on auxiliary vessels, which are noncombatant ships such as fueling and cargo vessels that support naval and military operations. The Navy's auxiliary fleet is aging and insufficient in numbers, she said. The U.S. commercial shipbuilding accounted for 0.1% of global capacity in 2024, while China produced 53%, followed by South Korea and Japan, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. A Navy review from April 2024 found that many of its major shipbuilding programs were one year to three years behind schedule. During the trip, the senators are expected to meet representatives from major shipbuilders in the region. South Korea and the U.S. are already making progress on shipbuilding cooperation. In March, Hanwha Ocean completed maintenance work for a 41,000-ton U.S. Navy dry cargo and ammunition ship in South Korea. The overhaul of USNS Wally Schirra was the Korean company's first project after it secured a repair agreement with the U.S. Navy in July 2024. Hanwha Group last year acquired Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, which builds large merchant mariners, part of the reserve auxiliary fleet. Earlier this month, South Korea proposed to invest $150 billion in the U.S. shipbuilding industry to support Trump's 'Make American Shipbuilding Great Again' initiative as part of its tariffs talk with the White House. Duckworth said she had earlier conversations with Hyundai Heavy Industries 'about them actually buying into U.S. shipyards on U.S. soil'. This month, China formed the world's biggest shipbuilding company by merging two state-owned shipbuilders. The combined entity China State Shipbuilding Corporation produces Chinese navy's combat vessels from aircraft carriers to nuclear submarines. It commands 21.5% of global shipbuilding market.
Qatar Tribune
19 hours ago
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
US lawmakers look to Seoul, Tokyo for shipbuilding help
Agencies American lawmakers are using a trip to South Korea and Japan to explore how the United States can tap those allies' shipbuilding expertise and capacity to help boost its own capabilities, which are dwarfed by those of China. Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Andy Kim, D-N.J., who are scheduled to land in Seoul on Sunday before traveling to Japan, plan to meet top shipbuilders from the world's second- and third-largest shipbuilding countries. The senators want to examine the possibilities of forming joint ventures to construct and repair noncombatant vessels for the U.S. Navy in the Indo-Pacific and bring investments to American shipyards. 'We already have fewer capacity now than we did during Operation Iraqi Freedom' in 2003, Duckworth told The Associated Press. 'We have to rebuild the capacity. At the same time, what capacity we have is aging and breaking down and taking longer and more expensive to fix.'Their trip comes as President Donald Trump demands a plan to revive U.S. shipyards and engage foreign partners. The Pentagon is seeking $47 billion for shipbuilding in its annual budget. The urgency stems from the fact that Washington severely lags behind China in building naval ships, a situation raising alarms among policymakers who worry the maritime balance of power could shift to China, now the world's No. 1 shipbuilder. Duckworth, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said she hopes the trip could lead to joint ventures among the U.S. military, American companies and foreign partners to build auxiliary vessels for the Navy and small boats for the Army. Another possibility is repairing U.S. ships in the Indo-Pacific region. 'If we have to bring ships all the way back to the United States ... to wait two years to be fixed, that doesn't help the situation,' Duckworth said. The discussions, she said, will focus on auxiliary vessels, which are noncombatant ships such as fueling and cargo vessels that support naval and military operations. The Navy's auxiliary fleet is aging and insufficient in numbers, she said. The U.S. commercial shipbuilding accounted for 0.1% of global capacity in 2024, while China produced 53%, followed by South Korea and Japan, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. A Navy review from April 2024 found that many of its major shipbuilding programs were one year to three years behind schedule. During the trip, the senators are expected to meet representatives from major shipbuilders in the region. South Korea and the U.S. are already making progress on shipbuilding cooperation. In March, Hanwha Ocean completed maintenance work for a 41,000-ton U.S. Navy dry cargo and ammunition ship in South Korea. The overhaul of USNS Wally Schirra was the Korean company's first project after it secured a repair agreement with the U.S. Navy in July 2024. Hanwha Group last year acquired Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, which builds large merchant mariners, part of the reserve auxiliary fleet. Earlier this month, South Korea proposed to invest $150 billion in the U.S. shipbuilding industry to support Trump's 'Make American Shipbuilding Great Again' initiative as part of its tariffs talk with the White House. Duckworth said she had earlier conversations with Hyundai Heavy Industries 'about them actually buying into U.S. shipyards on U.S. soil'. This month, China formed the world's biggest shipbuilding company by merging two state-owned shipbuilders. The combined entity China State Shipbuilding Corporation produces Chinese navy's combat vessels from aircraft carriers to nuclear submarines. It commands 21.5% of global shipbuilding market.
Japan Today
20 hours ago
- Business
- Japan Today
U.S. seeks shipbuilding expertise from Japan, S Korea to counter China
By ALBEE ZHANG American lawmakers are using a trip to Japan and South Korea to explore how the United States can tap those allies' shipbuilding expertise and capacity to help boost its own capabilities, which are dwarfed by those of China. Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Andy Kim, D-N.J., who arrived in Seoul on Sunday before traveling to Japan, plan to meet top shipbuilders from the world's second- and third-largest shipbuilding countries. The senators want to examine the possibilities of forming joint ventures to construct and repair noncombatant vessels for the U.S. Navy in the Indo-Pacific and bring investments to American shipyards. 'We already have fewer capacity now than we did during Operation Iraqi Freedom" in 2003, Duckworth told The Associated Press. 'We have to rebuild the capacity. At the same time, what capacity we have is aging and breaking down and taking longer and more expensive to fix.' Their trip comes as President Donald Trump demands a plan to revive U.S. shipyards and engage foreign partners. The Pentagon is seeking $47 billion for shipbuilding in its annual budget. The urgency stems from the fact that Washington severely lags behind China in building naval ships, a situation raising alarms among policymakers who worry the maritime balance of power could shift to China, now the world's No. 1 shipbuilder. Duckworth, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said she hopes the trip could lead to joint ventures among the U.S. military, American companies and foreign partners to build auxiliary vessels for the Navy and small boats for the Army. Another possibility is repairing U.S. ships in the Indo-Pacific region. 'If we have to bring ships all the way back to the United States ... to wait two years to be fixed, that doesn't help the situation,' Duckworth said. The discussions, she said, will focus on auxiliary vessels, which are noncombatant ships such as fueling and cargo vessels that support naval and military operations. The Navy's auxiliary fleet is aging and insufficient in numbers, she said. The U.S. commercial shipbuilding accounted for 0.1% of global capacity in 2024, while China produced 53%, followed by South Korea and Japan, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. A Navy review from April 2024 found that many of its major shipbuilding programs were one year to three years behind schedule. During the trip, the senators are expected to meet representatives from major shipbuilders in the region. South Korea and the U.S. are already making progress on shipbuilding cooperation. In March, Hanwha Ocean completed maintenance work for a 41,000-ton U.S. Navy dry cargo and ammunition ship in South Korea. The overhaul of USNS Wally Schirra was the Korean company's first project after it secured a repair agreement with the U.S. Navy in July 2024. Hanwha Group last year acquired Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, which builds large merchant mariners, part of the reserve auxiliary fleet. Earlier this month, South Korea proposed to invest $150 billion in the U.S. shipbuilding industry to support Trump's 'Make American Shipbuilding Great Again' initiative as part of its tariffs talk with the White House. Duckworth said she had earlier conversations with Hyundai Heavy Industries 'about them actually buying into U.S. shipyards on U.S. soil'. This month, China formed the world's biggest shipbuilding company by merging two state-owned shipbuilders. The combined entity China State Shipbuilding Corporation produces Chinese navy's combat vessels from aircraft carriers to nuclear submarines. It commands 21.5% of global shipbuilding market. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
News18
a day ago
- Business
- News18
US seeks shipbuilding expertise from South Korea, Japan to counter China
Washington, Aug 17 (AP) American lawmakers are using a trip to South Korea and Japan to explore how the United States can tap those allies' shipbuilding expertise and capacity to help boost its own capabilities, which are dwarfed by those of China. Sens Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill, and Andy Kim, D-NJ, who are scheduled to land in Seoul before travelling to Japan, plan to meet top shipbuilders from the world's second- and third-largest shipbuilding countries. The senators want to examine the possibilities of forming joint ventures to construct and repair noncombatant vessels for the US Navy in the Indo-Pacific and bring investments to American shipyards. 'We already have fewer capacity now than we did during 'Operation Iraqi Freedom' in 2003," Duckworth told The Associated Press. 'We have to rebuild the capacity. At the same time, what capacity we have is aging and breaking down and taking longer and more expensive to fix." Their trip comes as President Donald Trump demands a plan to revive US shipyards and engage foreign partners. The Pentagon is seeking USD 47 billion for shipbuilding in its annual budget. The urgency stems from the fact that Washington severely lags behind China in building naval ships, a situation raising alarms among policymakers who worry the maritime balance of power could shift to China, now the world's number 1 shipbuilder. Another possibility is repairing US ships in the Indo-Pacific region. 'If we have to bring ships all the way back to the United States… to wait two years to be fixed, that doesn't help the situation," Duckworth said. The discussions, she said, will focus on auxiliary vessels, which are noncombatant ships such as fuelling and cargo vessels that support naval and military operations. The Navy's auxiliary fleet is aging and insufficient in numbers, she said. The US commercial shipbuilding accounted for 0.1 per cent of global capacity in 2024, while China produced 53 per cent, followed by South Korea and Japan, according to a report by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. A Navy review from April 2024 found that many of its major shipbuilding programmes were one year to three years behind schedule. During the trip, the senators are expected to meet representatives from major shipbuilders in the region. South Korea and the US are already making progress on shipbuilding cooperation. In March, Hanwha Ocean completed maintenance work for a 41,000-ton US Navy dry cargo and ammunition ship in South Korea. The overhaul of USNS Wally Schirra was the Korean company's first project after it secured a repair agreement with the US Navy in July 2024. Hanwha Group last year acquired Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, which builds large merchant mariners, part of the reserve auxiliary fleet. Earlier this month, South Korea proposed to invest USD 150 billion in the US shipbuilding industry to support Trump's 'Make American Shipbuilding Great Again" initiative as part of its tariffs talk with the White House. Duckworth said she had earlier conversations with Hyundai Heavy Industries 'about them actually buying into US shipyards on US soil". This month, China formed the world's biggest shipbuilding company by merging two state-owned shipbuilders. The combined entity China State Shipbuilding Corporation produces Chinese navy's combat vessels from aircraft carriers to nuclear submarines. It commands 21.5 per cent of global shipbuilding market. (AP) NPK NPK (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 17, 2025, 20:15 IST News agency-feeds US seeks shipbuilding expertise from South Korea, Japan to counter China Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
