National Defense

‘Promising’: Navy Ship Carries Out Vital Task That Could Give US Edge Over China If War Broke Out In Taiwan

(Screen Capture/U.S. Navy)

The U.S. Navy successfully conducted its first at-sea resupply of a warship’s weapons system, utilizing the Transferrable Rearming Mechanism (TRAM) aboard the USS Chosin, officials announced Friday.

During a demonstration 30 miles off the coast of San Diego, sailors aboard the cruiser USS Chosin employed the hydraulically powered TRAM to insert an empty missile canister into the ship’s vertical launching system, according to Stars and Stripes. This marks a technological advancement, enabling Navy destroyers and cruisers to reload rapid-fire missiles while at sea—a capability previously restricted to pier-side operations.

“TRAM offers us a powerful near-term deterrent that will disrupt the strategic calculus of those who would do us harm around the globe,” Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said during a news conference in San Diego, Stars and Stripes reported.

The Navy’s first-ever attempt to resupply a warship’s weapons system at sea was successful.

Reports have estimated that in a conflict with China, U.S. warships would have to quickly leave to friendly piers to reload. Reloading in the open ocean would allow the U.S. surface fleet…

— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) October 11, 2024

Del Toro has prioritized at-sea rearming since 2022, addressing geopolitical tensions with China by developing a crane mechanism for vertically placing 25-foot missile canisters into launcher cells, the outlet stated. During a test, the Chosin cruiser and the USNS Washington Chambers ammunition ship successfully transferred and secured a missile canister using this mechanism.

Del Toro remarked that the operation was conducted successfully even under challenging conditions, with winds of 11-16 knots and wave heights between three and five feet, classified as sea state 4 on the Beaufort Scale, Stars and Stripes reported. The TRAM system is designed to operate efficiently in sea states of 3 or higher, ensuring robust performance even in rougher maritime environments.

Following its successful land-based tests and this inaugural at-sea demonstration, the Navy plans to expand TRAM training to destroyers and other cruisers, aiming for fleet-wide implementation by 2030, the outlet reported. “The future is really promising, and I think we are going to get there faster than we think,” Del Toro said.

Amid these technological strides, it was reported in August that the U.S. Navy is grappling with a manpower shortage, prompting considerations to pull 17 support ships from active duty, as sources cited by USNI News revealed. This strategic adjustment aims to alleviate crewing pressures by placing several vessels into extended maintenance and redistributing their crews, although it may limit operational capabilities and increase the burden on remaining fleet assets.

The U.S. Navy did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.