Washington eyes foreign warships from Japan, South Korea, Turkey amid China naval threat
The Pentagon is preparing a tender for foreign-built frigates as US officials look to boost naval capacity, with Japan, South Korea and Turkey expected to compete for the deal.
The United States is considering purchasing foreign warships from Japan, South Korea, and Turkey in response to China's rapidly expanding naval capabilities. This move comes as the US struggles to maintain its goal of 300 operational warships, while China's navy has grown to approximately 400 vessels. The Defense Department plans to issue a tender in October for frigates, with the possibility of foreign shipyards constructing some vessels and training American shipyards to build additional ships.
Potential partners include South Korea, Japan, and Turkey, the latter of which has made significant investments in its domestic defense industry under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Istanbul-class frigate, a smaller option at 113 meters in length, is expected to be offered by Turkey and boasts locally produced anti-ship missiles, a Phalanx close-in weapon system, and an AESA radar developed by Turkish defense company Aselsan.
A decision on purchasing Turkish-built naval vessels would signify a significant step in the bilateral defense relationship between the two countries.
Brief written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
