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Trump Eyes Buying Warships Built by Allies Like South Korea
🇰🇷 South Korea /Conflict & Security

Trump Eyes Buying Warships Built by Allies Like South Korea

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • U.S. President Donald Trump plans to boost the Navy by purchasing warships built by allied nations, including South Korea.
  • The initiative aims to rapidly expand the fleet by leveraging the shipbuilding capabilities of countries like South Korea, potentially bypassing current legal restrictions on importing foreign-built naval vessels.
  • This proposal faces significant legal hurdles, as U.S. law generally prohibits the construction of naval ships in foreign shipyards, requiring amendments or exceptions to the Burns-Tollefson Act.

President Donald Trump is pushing a plan to revitalize the U.S. Navy by acquiring warships constructed in allied countries, with South Korea being a key potential partner. Trump announced his intention to "rebuild the Navy" and explore collaborations with "excellent companies" in nations like South Korea during a defense and innovation conference in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

We must rebuild the Navy.

— Donald TrumpDuring a defense and innovation conference in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, outlining his plan to strengthen U.S. naval power.

Trump's proposal includes the direct purchase of some vessels built abroad, a move that could significantly accelerate the expansion of the U.S. fleet. He cited the aging of existing U.S. naval assets and a perceived decline in American shipbuilding as the impetus for this strategy. "We are going to buy some ships built overseas," Trump stated, emphasizing the goal of acquiring "a lot of ships in a short period of time."

We will review excellent companies in various countries, including South Korea.

— Donald TrumpExplaining his strategy to leverage international shipbuilding capabilities for U.S. naval expansion.

This initiative follows discussions Trump reportedly had with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung during recent G7 and NATO summits. Reports suggest Trump inquired about the possibility of South Korea rapidly constructing U.S. warships. Following these discussions, the U.S. Department of Defense and Navy have reportedly sent requests for information (RFI) to major South Korean shipbuilders, including HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean, to assess their capacity for building combat and supply ships.

We are going to buy some ships built overseas. This will allow us to acquire a lot of ships in a short period of time.

— Donald TrumpHighlighting the potential for rapid fleet growth through foreign procurement.

However, the plan faces substantial legal challenges. The Burns-Tollefson Amendment generally prohibits the U.S. Navy from commissioning ships built in foreign shipyards. Implementing Trump's proposal would necessitate either an exception to this law or a legislative amendment, presenting a significant hurdle for the administration's ambitious shipbuilding goals.

The U.S. Navy, despite being the world's strongest, has aging ships. The United States has effectively abandoned the shipbuilding industry.

— Donald TrumpExplaining the rationale behind his proposal to seek foreign assistance for naval shipbuilding.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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