How Japan Could Co-Produce the Navy’s Future Fleet

Article excerpt

America's shipyards are drowning in backorders. Decades of consolidation have left the Navy's industrial base stretched thin, unable to meet production timelines for critical vessels and munitions. Rather than wait, military strategists propose a practical fix: let Japan build some of the Navy's future fleet. Both the National Defense Strategy and Navy Warfighting Instructions already embrace allied burden-sharing, and Japan, a mature naval power with proven capacity, could accelerate production while deepening security ties in the Indo-Pacific. It's a recognition that American yards alone cannot match the threat.