As of this report, the US Department of War has taken out the 14th “lethal kinetic strike” on a boat crewed by members of narco-terror groups.
And while our US Naval Forces continue to protect the nation, President Donald Trump was busy during his trip to Asia to set a new course with our allies regarding joint shipbuilding and maritime plans to further strengthen both this country’s defenses and our partnerships.
To begin with, Trump and the South Korean leader made a deal for the U.S. to share closely held technology to allow South Korea to build a nuclear-powered submarine.
President Lee Jae Myung stressed to Trump in their Wednesday meeting that the goal was to modernize the alliance with the U.S., noting plans to increase military spending to reduce the financial burden on America.The South Korean leader said there might have been a misunderstanding when they last spoke in August about nuclear-powered submarines, saying that his government was looking for nuclear fuel rather than weapons.Lee said that South Korea’s current diesel-powered submarines have limits in tracking other countries’ submarine activities. If South Korea was equipped with nuclear-powered submarines, he said, it could help U.S. activities in the region.Diesel-powered submarines have to surface regularly to recharge their batteries. But nuclear-powered submarines have superior endurance and can stay submerged for a significantly longer period.
This seems like a sensible plan, given the fact that North Korea lobbed some cruise missiles during “tests” into its western waters ahead of Trump’s visit.
While in Japan, it was announced that Japan is expected to sign a memorandum of cooperation with the U.S. to strengthen shipbuilding capabilities in both countries as part of economic security measures, with the aim of countering China’s growing share of the global shipbuilding market.
Japan’s public broadcaster NHK said the memorandum is expected to state that “it is necessary to reduce dependence on a specific country with a view to securing maritime transport in case of a contingency.” The document is also expected to say that Japan and the US will set up a working group to strengthen cooperation, and that Japanese and US companies will invest in shipbuilding yards in both countries to boost competitiveness and improve efficiency.The shipbuilding cooperation agreement comes as Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae and US President Donald Trump are scheduled to meet in Tokyo on Tuesday morning. Trump arrived in Japan on Monday, the second stop on his three-country Asia tour, as a US-China trade deal draws closer.The two governments plan to sign another memorandum on the supply of critical minerals, including rare earth elements, in an effort to build a supply chain without dependence on China. During the summit meeting, Takaichi and Trump are expected to sign a document aimed at steadily implementing the trade deal reached between Japan and the US.The cooperation agreement reflects broader concerns about supply chain resilience in the maritime sector.
To round out this week’s maritime news, reports indicate that Trump plans to pull out his mighty pen and sign an executive order bringing back steam-powered catapults and hydraulic elevators to the US Navy.
During an address to Navy personnel stationed in Japan, Trump expanded on his long-standing grievances with the Navy’s adoption of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) for its latest Gerald R. Ford-class carriers.The president reiterated his view that traditional steam power was superior to newer electric systems, referencing cost overruns and operational challenges with electromagnetic catapults.During the speech, Trump asked the crowd, “Which is better, electric or steam?” He paused for a response after saying “electric,” and the audience remained silent. However, multiple people erupted into cheers when he said “steam.”“I’m going to put in an order,” he said. “Seriously.”
I will defer to engineering experts as to which systems are better. But our press flew its TDS colors again as it shared news of this presidential plan.
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