U.S. Lawmaker Seeks to Build Navy Ships in South Korea
Rep. Ami Bera, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee overseeing East Asia and the Pacific, has proposed a plan to build up to 80% of some American naval vessels in South Korea. Bera spoke at a South Korea-U.S. shipbuilding and maritime innovation forum hosted by the Korea Foundation and the RAND research organization in Arlington, Va.
Bera emphasized that relying exclusively on domestic shipyards was unrealistic due to a lack of sufficient workers and production capacity in the United States. He suggested that South Korean shipyards could produce hulls and other components accounting for 75% to 80% of a vessel, while highly sensitive systems could be manufactured and installed in the United States.
Bera also proposed a distributed construction model under which components would be produced at different locations before being brought to the United States for final assembly. He stated, ‘If we do not have the workers or construction capacity in the United States, we have to build where ships can be built.’
Combining Capabilities of U.S. and South Korea
Bera believes that combining the capabilities of the United States and its allies would strengthen deterrence and help prevent a military conflict with China. He cited the security partnership among the United States, Britain, and Australia as a possible model for resolving issues related to joint naval construction.
Bera also called on the United States to facilitate the entry of South Korean engineers and technicians needed to support investments by Korean shipbuilding companies. He described the detention of more than 300 South Korean workers in Georgia in September as an ’embarrassing fiasco’ and said the visa problem must be resolved.
Expert Weighs in on U.S. Rebuilding
Shin Jong-gye, a professor emeritus of naval architecture and ocean engineering at Seoul National University, said China’s overall shipbuilding capacity by gross tonnage was more than 230 times that of the United States. He noted that China had more than 50 dry docks large enough to accommodate aircraft carriers.
Shin said the United States must expand both its physical shipyard capacity and its ability to build vessels quickly and efficiently. He estimated that rebuilding the U.S. shipbuilding sector independently could take 20 to 30 years, while cooperation with South Korea could significantly shorten the process.
Shin proposed initially building complete ships in South Korea while developing supply chains in the United States. American production could then be expanded gradually. He said protecting South Korean intellectual property, providing appropriate compensation, and resolving visa restrictions for Korean specialists would be essential.
U.S. Law Limits Overseas Warship Construction
Brittany Clayton, a senior operations researcher at RAND, said complicated U.S. defense procurement procedures, unpredictable orders, and design changes during construction remained major barriers to cooperation. She cited proposed legislation restricting the overseas construction of American combat vessels.
Clayton suggested beginning cooperation with strategic sealift vessels, which contain fewer sensitive military technologies than combat ships. The Senate Armed Services Committee included language in its fiscal 2027 defense authorization legislation that would permit the acquisition of up to two noncombat vessels from allied shipyards.
Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, whose district includes the Bath Iron Works shipyard, introduced an amendment to the fiscal 2027 defense authorization bill that would restrict foreign construction of combat ships.
South Korean Shipbuilders Respond
Michael Coulter, president and chief executive officer of Hanwha Defense USA, said protectionism was one of the largest obstacles to industrial cooperation. He proposed a distributed construction model under which components would be produced at different locations before being brought to the United States for final assembly.
Hong Suk-hwan, president and chief executive officer of HD Hyundai USA, proposed a two-track strategy involving investment in U.S. shipyards and partnerships with existing American companies. He also suggested a ‘bridge strategy’ in which American workers would train at South Korean shipyards for about three years while ships were being constructed there.
