Nowadays, the United States is in a mess because the speed at which China is launching warships is too fast. In more than seven years, China has launched 10 Type 055 destroyers. In 12 years, it has launched 33 Type 052D destroyers, almost three per year.

But what's even scarier? Both Type 055 and Type 052D are being built simultaneously in China. Besides these two models, China is also building Type 054 series, Type 094 nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, Type 075, Type 076, Type 071, etc.

You can only imagine what would happen if the country were to mobilize for war and operate at full capacity. You should know that China's steel production is equivalent to that of 11 Americas.

The U.S. is worried about how fast China is launching warships, so South Korea volunteered, saying they could launch five Burke-class destroyers per year. This was said by Hyundai Heavy Industries, which once completed the construction of one ten-thousand-ton admiral Jeongjo-class guided missile destroyer in just ten months.

The admiral Jeongjo-class destroyer is an optimized improvement based on the Burke-class destroyer platform, and is one of the important achievements of the third phase of the "South Korean Destroyer Experimental Program" (shortened as KDX plan). The first batch includes three Sejong the Great-class destroyers that were put into service from 2008 to 2012. This class of ship is equipped with a brand-new Aegis missile defense system, enhancing the ability to detect and track ballistic missiles; it is equipped with advanced integrated sonar systems, improving the ability to detect submarines and torpedoes; and it is equipped with long-range anti-submarine torpedoes and lightweight torpedoes, capable of initiating timely anti-submarine attacks.

In recent years, the South Korean Navy has also been continuously manufacturing new ships. According to relevant data in 2023, the total tonnage of South Korean vessels has exceeded 350,000 tons, including two amphibious assault ships, 13 destroyers, 28 frigates, and 22 conventional submarines.

However, although the Jeongjo the Great-class destroyer is highly publicized, it not only lacks a stealth integrated mast but also uses mechanical scanning radar instead of Aegis. Its vertical launch cells are numerous and incompatible. South Korea dares to call it the largest destroyer in Asia, and the South Korean people believe it can easily destroy our Type 055.

Hyundai Heavy Industries wants to expand its naval shipbuilding capacity, so they want to cooperate with the U.S. They stated that the shipyards are currently building 12 surface ships for domestic and foreign customers, including ships for the Philippines and Peru. By utilizing the remaining dry docks alone, they could build one ship per year for the U.S. Navy. If supported by the U.S., producing five ships per year would be no problem.

As one of the global shipbuilding giants, Hyundai Heavy Industries has the confidence to say this. However, civilian ships and military ships are two product lines. The U.S. itself also tried converting civilian ships to military ships with the Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) program, but it ultimately failed.

The main propulsion systems, onboard weapons, sonar, fire control radars, and onboard helicopters of the ships built by Hyundai Heavy Industries are all imported products. South Korea is merely assembling foreign-made equipment together.

Moreover, as I mentioned earlier, both the Sejong the Great-class and Jeongjo the Great-class ships have very advanced technical specifications. However, the simple "assembly" of a large number of foreign-made equipment does not enhance the overall performance of the ship but instead affects its performance due to poor compatibility, resulting in high fault rates for these ships.

Although the South Korean shipbuilding industry promotes itself as having fast shipbuilding speed and high technology, it is not as adept at building warships as it is at building civilian ships. Many problems and hidden dangers have emerged in these warships. In 2001, Bangladesh introduced a "Bangabandhu" class frigate built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd., which was improved based on the Ulsan-class frigate. It was equipped with Italian cannons, German diesel engines, and Dutch radar systems, but it broke down within a year of service, leading to its forced retirement the following year. In 2018, the "Queen Maud" replenishment ship delivered to the Norwegian Navy had frequent malfunctions due to design issues, forcing the Norwegian military to dock it idly in the port.

Therefore, whether Hyundai Heavy Industries has the capability to expand its naval shipbuilding line and meet the quality requirements of the U.S. Navy remains questionable.

On the other hand, if you let South Korea build Burke-class destroyers for the U.S., although they would also act as integrators, the cost of the hulls is the cheapest, while the expensive parts are the onboard equipment and weapons. Costs won't decrease either. Of course, although prices haven't dropped, the speed has increased, which isn't bad either.

However, the problem lies in if all orders were given to South Korea, then the already struggling U.S. shipyards that rely on military contracts for survival would essentially be cut off from their lifeline. This is a red line for the U.S. military-industrial complex. Although the U.S. shipbuilding industry is aging, with only four shipyards, it may be slow, but at least it can maintain self-research and self-production of warships, submarines, and aircraft carriers. If orders shift overseas, restarting the U.S. shipbuilding industry in the future would be impossible.

Therefore, although the South Korean proposal theoretically shortens the construction cycle, the Pentagon values the integrity of the military-industrial base more.

For the U.S., the four remaining large shipyards are not only production bases for equipment but also key nodes for maintaining ship design capabilities, nurturing technical workers, and sustaining supply chains.

The delay crisis in the construction of the Virginia-class submarines in 2022 has exposed the risks of industrial hollowing out. If major ship orders are shifted overseas, it might cause a break in technological inheritance and a systemic decline in strategic deterrence capabilities.

More crucially, the Burke-class destroyers are strategic assets for the U.S. military. The protection requirements for the source code of their combat systems and radar signal characteristics far exceed what a commercial shipbuilding cooperation framework can handle. You see, even though the Constellation-class frigates are outsourced to Italy, the manufacturing still takes place in the U.S.

Another core factor is that South Korea is too close to China. If there were a conflict between China and the U.S., America's operational potential would be directly paralyzed. Actually, among America's allies, there are no shortages of shipbuilding lines. The UK, France, Italy, and Germany, if integrated, would definitely surpass China in launching warships. Moreover, in terms of shipbuilding technology, the UK, France, Italy, and Germany are stronger than South Korea. However, the U.S. worries about the leakage of equipment technology.

Additionally, if the U.S. military-industrial complex doesn't make money, breaking the network of interests among defense contractors won't be easy. The U.S. Congress's "Buy American Act" is not only a protectionist clause but also a system designed to maintain the symbiotic relationship between the military and industry. The policy moat formed by the lobbying networks of defense giants like General Dynamics and Huntington Ingalls will never allow external competitors to undermine their vested interests.

If the U.S. really asks South Korea to build Burkes, it might as well let China do it. For $3 billion, China could give you at least two ships. Cheaper, larger quantities, and better value for money.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7491598607221686799/

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