SHIPBUILDINGCollaborating Toward a Shipbuilding Renaissance
America is a maritime nation, and its security and prosperity are inexorably linked to the sea. Yet the United States has let its ability to design, build, and sustain the fleet of ships that are the backbone of this prosperity atrophy. A maritime nation that cannot build ships cannot long thrive.
America is a maritime nation, and its security and prosperity are inexorably linked to the sea. Yet the United States has let its ability to design, build, and sustain the fleet of ships that are the backbone of this prosperity atrophy. A maritime nation that cannot build ships cannot long thrive.
At the same time, U.S. competitors have not sat idle. China has harnessed its state-directed industrial policy to become the dominant actor in the global maritime sector. The United States should turn to those allies that possess the capacity, industrial expertise, and political willingness to partner in a shipbuilding renaissance, South Korea and Japan. Both nations have large and successful commercial shipbuilding industries that employ the latest innovations in industrial efficiency, computer-aided design, and robotics. Both are also close naval partners with the United States, with warships operating the same combat systems and radars.
Together, as maritime nations, there is an opportunity to intelligently leverage the decades of collaboration behind us into more robust future.
___________________________________
“The opportunity for a cooperative shipbuilding renaissance has not been higher for decades.”
___________________________________
Now is the time to act, the opportunity for a cooperative shipbuilding renaissance has not been higher for decades. The current U.S. administration has clearly laid out the priority of shipbuilding both with executive orders and investments to match. In parallel, South Korea has seized the moment by launching the “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA)” initiative, with monetary commitments and the purchase of the Hanwha Philly Shipyard. In the U.S. Congress, momentum is building as well with the Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security (SHIPS) Act being revived to inject federal funds and incentives into ports and domestic yards. Senate leadership supports these efforts and is eager to implement them. Senator Tim Kaine, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee, speaking to an audience of defense and maritime industry professionals said about the Hanwha Philly Shipyard and AUKUS agreement, “it makes us think a little bit bigger, not just about this particular alliance but about technology sharing, about joint investments.” With these pieces in place, Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo must turn alignment into action.
