Published Jun 25, 2026, 7:17 PM EDT
An acquisition leader warns that China is meeting the US on nearly all maritime efforts.
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Published Jun 25, 2026, 7:17 PM EDT
A Navy acquisition leader warned congressional members on Thursday that China is meeting the United States on nearly every maritime mark, raising the importance that shipbuilding continue on an upward trajectory. William F. Mahan, performing the duties of assistant secretary of the Navy (ASN) for research, development and acquisition, made the remarks Thursday to an audience of lawmakers and industry partners on Capitol Hill as part of the U.S. Navy League’s Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus breakfast. His main message was a simple one: modernization and restoration is integral to the U.S. maintaining its maritime industrial base. But that is just part of what concerns him. The other point of emphasis was the People's Republic of China, which he said is “executing the Mahanian playbook flawlessly"—referencing the famous work of historical naval strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan, The Influence of Sea Power upon History. “We now face a national challenger that is competing with the United States across every domain, but there is only one domain that will determine whether they succeed in their national ambitions—the maritime domain,” Mahan said, adding that true sea power requires a lethal combatant fleet combined with a robust commercial shipping and shipbuilding industrial sector.
