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Newsweek
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Navy Warship Rearms at Sea With One Eye on China War
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A United States warship recently conducted a rearm-at-sea operation, demonstrating the Navy's capability to sustain combat power during a potential war with China in the vast Pacific. The destroyer USS Farragut had its missile canisters reloaded while anchored alongside the crane ship USNS Gopher State off the coast of Virginia on July 17, the U.S. Navy said. Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment via email. Why It Matters The U.S. military has identified China—operator of the world's largest navy by hull count—as both a threat and a challenge in its priority theater, the Indo-Pacific, where it has deployed its most capable units, including missile-armed destroyers and nuclear-powered submarines. The rearmament demonstration comes amid concerns about how the U.S. Navy can sustain its presence at sea during combat—such as in its Red Sea operations, which expended a large number of missiles—without diverting warships to distant ports for replenishment. While U.S. warships can reload their munitions at bases or friendly ports across the western Pacific—including those in Japan and Guam—China has built a missile arsenal capable of targeting such facilities, potentially putting them out of action on the first day of a war. What To Know According to a photo released by the U.S. Navy, the Gopher State simultaneously transferred three missile canisters to the Farragut during what the official described as a "vertical launching system (VLS) rearmament evolution" conducted as part of Large Scale Global Exercise 2025. The United States crane ship USNS Gopher State transfers three missile canisters to the destroyer USS Farragut during a vertical launching system rearmament evolution off the coast of Virginia on July 17. The United States crane ship USNS Gopher State transfers three missile canisters to the destroyer USS Farragut during a vertical launching system rearmament evolution off the coast of Virginia on July 17. U.S. Navy/Cmdr. Duane Case Missile canisters were transferred to both the Farragut's forward and aft VLS cells, also known as launchers. The warship, a Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, is equipped with 96 launchers—32 forward and 64 aft—to accommodate various types of missiles. This marked the second time the Navy demonstrated rearming a warship at sea since October, when the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Chosin conducted a similar operation with the dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Washington Chambers off the coast of California. However, during the demonstration in the Pacific, the Washington Chambers was seen transferring only one missile canister to the Chosin's forward VLS cells. The warship is equipped with 122 VLS cells—61 in the forward and 61 in the aft launching systems. The Navy said the simultaneous rearmament of the Farragut's forward and aft VLS cells marked the first operation of its kind, demonstrating the vital role of expeditionary logistics in supporting "distributed maritime operations" and sustaining combat power at sea. Distributed maritime operations is the Navy's operating concept in response to China's anti-ship capabilities. Its features include making it harder for the adversary to target U.S. ships by dispersing them over a larger area and spreading weapons across different platforms. Tom Shugart, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, told Newsweek that the Navy would need to be able to rearm at sea or at anchor away from known port facilities, given the threat China poses to U.S. regional bases and the long distances from home waters at which U.S. warships would need to operate in a trans-Pacific conflict. United States sailors aboard the destroyer USS Rafael Peralta guide a missile canister into a vertical launching system cell while in port in Eden, Australia, on August 22, 2023. United States sailors aboard the destroyer USS Rafael Peralta guide a missile canister into a vertical launching system cell while in port in Eden, Australia, on August 22, 2023. Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Colby A. Mothershead/U.S. Navy Following the Chosin's rearm-at-sea demonstration, then-Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro called this ability critical to any future conflict in the Pacific: "Without the ability to rearm at sea, our service combatants must return to port, sometimes thousands of miles away." What People Are Saying U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander John Sefcik, a weapons officer assigned to USS Farragut, said in a news release on July 22: "The ability to conduct safe and efficient vertical missile rearm at sea is a critical warfighting enabler." U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Charles Kirol, a commander of the Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group, said in a news release on July 22: "Rearming warships at sea is a capability that adds significant complexity for those who choose to challenge us in conflict." Then-U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said in October 2024: "We are transforming the way the Navy fights." What Happens Next It remains to be seen when the U.S. Navy will officially employ rearm-at-sea as part of its routine operations. Until then, U.S. warships must return to port for rearmament.
Newsweek
23-06-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Timelapse Shows Global Ship Traffic in Hormuz Strait Under Iran Threat
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Global shipping companies and businesses are closely monitoring developments around the Strait of Hormuz, after Iranian threats to disrupt shipping following the U.S. strikes on its nuclear sites in its "Operation Midnight Hammer" The U.S. warned Iran that any move to shut the Strait would be "economic suicide" and trigger a severe response. Why It Matters The Strait of Hormuz matters enormously because it channels roughly one‑fifth to one‑quarter of the world's oil supply, serving as a critical artery for global energy markets—with international navigation already affected by Iran's proxy Houthi group disruptions in the Red Sea. The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), left, the Royal Navy air defense destroyer HMS Defender (D 36) and the guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut (DDG 99) transit the Strait of Hormuz on November 19,... The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), left, the Royal Navy air defense destroyer HMS Defender (D 36) and the guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut (DDG 99) transit the Strait of Hormuz on November 19, 2019. More Zachary Pearson- U.S. Navy/Getty Images Disruption of the strait would not only send global oil and gas prices surging but would also threaten economic stability in the U.S. and China, with global costly implications for commercial vessels too. Iran's threats to block it raises urgent alarms from governments and markets. What To Know On Monday, two Japanese shipping companies said they had directed their vessels to limit time spent in the Gulf while continuing transits through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Reuters. On Sunday, two supertankers—each carrying up to 2 million barrels—turned back in the Strait of Hormuz after U.S. airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites raised fears of commercial shipping being targeted, Bloomberg reported. Asian markets are likely to be the most affected by supply disruptions at Hormuz. The U.S. Energy Administration Information (EIA) estimates that China, India, Japan, and South Korea accounted for 69% of all Hormuz crude oil and condensate flows in 2024. As for the U.S., about 7% of its crude oil and condensate imports and 2% of its petroleum liquids consumption came through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran cannot completely "close" the Strait under international law on maritime passage but could impose restrictions on its northern shore and step up mine and missile threats to vessels. What People Are Saying Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun: "The Persian Gulf and its adjacent waters are important corridors for international trade in goods and energy, and it is in the common interest of the international community to maintain security and stability in the region. China calls on the international community to step up its efforts to promote de-escalation of the conflict and to prevent regional instability from having a greater impact on global economic development." Japan's Nippon Yusen shipping company spokesperson told Reuters: "We will make decisions on each vessel's passage through the Strait of Hormuz on a flexible basis." Sajith Marakar, Managing Director of Consolidated Bureau, an Abu Dhabi-based marine survey and inspection company told Gulf News: "If declared a war zone, cargo insurers and P&I (Protection & Indemnity) Clubs for shipping vessels may refuse to cover the risk, halting vessel operations." U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox Business Sunday Morning Futures: "Well, I would encourage the Chinese Government in Beijing to call them about that, because they heavily depend on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil. If they do that, it'll be another terrible mistake. It's economic suicide for them if they do it. And we retain options to deal with that." What Happens Next Iran may need to consider an approach that would not harm its allies while responding to U.S. and Israeli attacks.
