The United States suffered a setback in building its warship fleet amid China's growing sea power after the U.S. Navy terminated a frigate program plagued by significant delays.

Secretary of the Navy John Phelan announced on Tuesday a "strategic shift" away from the Constellation -class frigate program. The first ship, with construction beginning in 2022, is only 12 percent complete, and its delivery has been pushed from 2026 to 2029.

Operating the world's largest navy by number of vessels, China has built more than 40 ships in the Type 054 frigate family across four variants, the defense outlet Naval News reported. The ships serve as a major component of China's surface combatant force.

Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry for comment.

Why It Matters

According

See Full Page