Could U.S. Warships Be Repaired at Japanese Shipyards? - Almost two years ago, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) warned that greater shipyard capacity is needed for the United States Navy to ensure readiness for a potential conflict in the Indo-Pacific. The GAO's report "Ongoing Challenges Could Jeopardize Navy's Ability to Improve Shipyards" cautioned that the service has just four public shipyards that maintain its warships, and further stressed that those facilities suffer from poor infrastructure conditions.

Compounding the issue is the fact that the U.S. Navy is currently struggling to achieve the 355 manned warships mandated by Congress, while the service lacks the facilities to build and maintain its fleet. Since the 1970s, 14 "defense-related shipyards" have been shuttered, while only one new shipyard has opened.

The United States and Japan are now exploring options whereby Japanese shipyards could take over some of the maintenance duties. This would allow U.S. Navy warships to stay in Asian waters, ready for any potential conflict.

"China watches what ships are coming in and out. It is not like this is a secret, they know what's happening. So therefore, they take an evaluation of your deterrence," United States Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel told reporters at the Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo, Reuters reported.

The ambassador added that the U.S. Navy's use of Japanese dry docks could ease pressure on U.S. yards as they face maintenance backlogs of up to 4,000 days, while it could further allow American facilities to return their respective focus on shipbuilding that will allow the U.S. to expand its fleet.

Past Repair Efforts

Having foreign shipyards maintain U.S. vessels wouldn't be entirely new. The U.S. Navy has previously employed shipyards in Japan, India, and the Philippines to repair logistics ships, including auxiliary vessels and replenishment oilers.

What could be different now is that the maintenance would be expanded to warships, notably the destroyers, cruisers, and amphibious ships that are forward-deployed to Japan. Such a partnership would also be a win for Japan, which was once one of the world's most prominent shipbuilding nations, but recently lost market share to China and South Korea. As a result, Japanese shipyards have been forced to consolidate to save costs. A new flow of repair work from the U.S. Navy would be a boon for the Japanese shipyards.

Though this would be a considerable shift for the U.S. Navy, it could signal a new level of integration with U.S. allies and partners. The idea could further expand to South Korea, Singapore, and the Philippines.

For decades, the United States Navy had been unchallenged in the waters of Asia, but it now faces a growing Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) – which has become the world's largest naval force in terms of number of vessels.

Washington and Tokyo Hammering Out the Details

Though no deal has been reached yet, Washington and Tokyo have formed a council to collaborate on a joint plan for maintenance work, Interesting Engineering reported. Japan, which remains a key ally of the United States, is also home to the largest concentration of U.S. military power outside the country.

That includes the only forward-deployed carrier strike group, which is based in Yokosuka. It is a part of the Seventh Fleet, which commands up to 70 ships and submarines from its headquarters at the Japanese naval base.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

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