China leaves US far behind in navy development

The US Navy once had 16 major shipbuilding yards. Over the past 30 years, all but four – Pearl Harbor and Puget Sound in the Pacific, as well as Norfolk and Portsmouth in the Atlantic – have been closed, demolished with their materials repurposed as scrap metal, or converted into civilian facilities unrelated to their shipbuilding past. One of the most significant consequences of the US falling behind China's rapidly expanding navy in both quality and quantity – combined with the mistaken belief that the US would never again face a serious conventional military rival, corruption, and economic challenges – is the loss of shipyards and skilled labor. While the US continues to struggle with financial crises, doctrinal errors, confusion, and ever-rising costs for reviving shipyards, China has recently hired an additional 50,000 workers for the latest expansion of its naval shipyard in Dalian.