Building anything in the PRC is dangerous. They skimp, cut-cornors, and the like for everything.
So we order Chinese, do we get a ship with no substitutions? Or do we say, well I guess we trust you please install this top secret radar? Please don't copy it...Here is the missile launcher, please close your eyes while you install it.
I wouldn't put it past some business men in the USA to do that.
I often hear people complaining about lawyers and lawsuits; truthfully with the current state of ethics in the business community they frequently get what they deserve.
If the US put port restrictions on non-US flag merchant shipping, foreign yards might suddenly find it in their interests to build ships in the USA.
The idea is to improve competition. Boeing can make the gold standard for aircraft; Honda can build cars in the USA, ship them to Japan and Europe and still make a profit. Clearly the problem with our yards is structural and not fundamental. Competition would cause the prices to fall and inefficient yards would close.
Congress could pass a rule that throttles access to first class port facilities to cargo ships not built in the USA (or maybe US-flagged, able to pass US rules). They could be required to unload at remote, smaller ports.
If an unfriendly power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war.
That idea would kill your economy within a week Mr. Werner...
I don't know how much you know about US merchant shipping, but it really doesn't show much of self-sustainment. You wouldn't have any LNG imported since there are exactly 0.0 Americans in the crews of LNG vessels at this moment. That same number of LNG ships has an American flag and I don't think you can say to a shipping company that you would like one of his vessels in this port because you have to keep your economy afloat but that you are denying his other ship because of some competition reason. He won't like to deal with you and will most likely find more business in India or China. Face it, US isn't the big superpower anymore, a shipyard and labour cost is too high to make a ship at a credible price.
One thing you could do is set up a yard abroad and build your hull there. That is what certain European yards are currently doing. The Johan de Witt LPD for example. The hull was built in Romania for cheap. Afterwards she was towed to the Netherlands for installation of the superstructure and electronics. Same could be done by US, although I wouldn't exactly order it from China then. Better to build it in Japan, they do have high quality after all and are an Ally of US. With their experience in building high-tech ships I'm sure they could do it.
I suppose electronics and design are the biggest cost issues for warships and unless you can get cheaper electronics, I doubt the Zumwalt will get anywhere near "cheaper" than it was before. It's an ambitious project, too ambitious maybe. Better to go for a modified Burke IIA design with active phased array radars. I don't really see the problem with that. It has missiles enough, the only thing it's getting behind in is its radar suite and guidance. I'm sure they can make a new generation version of it for a much cheaper price than the Zumwalt! Take a look at the Japanese for that too, their latest Burke version, the Atago class cruisers are quite impressive ships!
I don't think the USA imports LNG at this time. There was some talk of the dangers of LNG tanker operations, especially in connection with terrorism, and I thought they decided if we import LNG we'd have to create a new port specifically for that purpose.
For obvious reasons foreign companies are going to continue to trade with the USA. We consume as much as the next several countries combined. No vendor could just "switch" their sales to Europe or Japan because there is nowhere near the demand. They'd be awash in product in weeks. I mean, how many � 100 Nike high-tops and Happy Meal Toys can Europe use?
I would phase in my program over years, so the shipping companies could get used to the idea.
If an unfriendly power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war.
Build one destroyer sized vessel with the latest and greatest anti everything. Set it up so it can provide complete (as much as possible) ECM/ECCM protection for a small task force. Provide ASW helicopter capability, the works.
Then surround it with 4 purpose built destroyers. With a limited electronic suite, but as much offensive capability as possible.
Add to that one fully equipped anti-submarine vessel.
These six ships, two specialized, four rapid production, and see just how much more effective we could control a space, especially in the Pacific. If things ever go down in the PAcific (and I believe that it is where our next major war could likely come from) and you would be able to effectively perform escort duty for convoys.
Also, add two submarines to this as underwater protection.
You have to know that whoever we wind up fighting, especially in the pacific, will have looked long and hard at our submarine and resupply actions during WWII. We as Americans have this nasty habit of forgetting what makes sense, and what is foolish between wars.
Ric
Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical, liberal minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."
A friend of mine has been working on Zumwalt missle safety software FOREVER. It's nice that he has steady empoloyment, but multiply that over other tasks and systems and no wonder the thing costs so bloody much.
In WWII a ship or plane could be expected to do far worse damage to the enemy that what it actually cost. You'd have to fire off half the world's cruise missles to inflict the same damge as what the launch vehicle costs today.
Maybe John Keegan was right: warfare per se will soon be impossible, because we won't be able to afford it.
I've seen this before, when you try to make a universal multi-purpose, general-purpose, all purpose anything you end up with skyrocketing cost and an indefinite delivery date.
