* China remains determined to claim sovereignty over international waters in the western Pacific
* Strategic importance of the U.S. alliance with Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines
* Large-deck aircraft carrier an important interment in projecting American seapower
* U.S. Navy not prepared to counter Russian maritime buildup in the eastern Mediterranean
Caption
155 shell bodies sit on a pallet at General Dynamics ready to be shipped on August 20, 2025, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. (Getty Images)