US Navy eyes allies for shipbuilding boost to counter China

The U.S. Navy is exploring an unprecedented move to bolster its fleet by potentially outsourcing parts of its design and construction to allies, including Japan and South Korea. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to accelerate shipbuilding and address the growing naval power of China, which currently boasts the world's largest fleet with at least 350 vessels.

Budget submissions for the upcoming fiscal year include $1.85 billion allocated for studying the feasibility of adopting or co-producing advanced hull designs from allies. Reports suggest the U.S. Navy is looking at designs such as Japan's Mogami-class and South Korea's Daegu-class frigates to supplement its own overstretched production lines. The U.S. Navy currently operates 291 battle force ships, falling short of the legally mandated 355 vessels.

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The cancellation of the Constellation-class frigates was symptomatic of the challenges for US defence procurement.

This potential collaboration comes as U.S. naval shipbuilding grapples with persistent issues. Frequent delays, budget overruns, and a shortage of skilled labor have plagued domestic shipbuilding capacity. These challenges were starkly highlighted by the cancellation of the Constellation-class frigate program in November.

Troy Stangarone, a senior fellow at the Korea Economic Institute of America specializing in defense industrial issues, described the Constellation-class cancellation as "symptomatic of the challenges for U.S. defense procurement." He attributed the program's downfall to excessive design changes and a lack of available workers, which drove up costs and stalled production. By looking to allies, the U.S. Navy hopes to overcome these domestic limitations and more rapidly expand its fleet to counter China's naval expansion.

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The programme had faced too many design changes and a lack of workers, driving up costs and delaying production.