U.S Navy Urges Congress To Allow Construction Of Auxiliary Ships Overseas

The U.S Navy has urged Congress to give approval for constructing a few auxiliary ships and parts of combatant vessels in other countries to support domestic production, per the Fiscal Year 2027 Shipbuilding Plan.

The construction and maintenance of naval ships is the main focal point of President Trump’s shipbuilding vision and is the top priority.

Apart from completing the projects on schedule, the Navy is also looking to increase the size of the fleet.

To fulfil this mission, the navy has asked for legislative changes, including passing the proposal for building atleast 2 auxiliary ships and some combatant modules in allied nations’ shipyards.

This would give greater flexibility to major contractors, allowing them to subcontract work to partners in foreign countries.

Non-sensitive modules such as hull structures will be built in overseas yards for combatant ships while advanced onboard systems and specialised construction will take place in the U.S itself.

This would ramp up the production of naval ships and allow the U.S. to enter into naval partnerships with its allies, benefitting both parties.

The testing, activation and even the final assembly and integration of classified systems will happen in the U.S without compromising on America’s design sovereignty, the plan mentioned.

The shipbuilding plan was put forward after former Secretary of the Navy John Phelan told reporters at the Sea Air Space exposition in April that the Navy was planning to use foreign shipyards for work on auxiliary and combatant ships.

The director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought, added that the U.S. would turn to foreign shipyards if the domestic ones cannot deliver the ships on time and within the allocated budget.

The plan, which was released on Monday, also confirmed that the Trump-class battleship will be nuclear-powered and that the Navy plans an inventory of 15 battleships by 2056, the first of which will be delivered by 2036.

The plan requested an allocation of $65.8 billion for shipbuilding for FY27, per the Navy’s budget request and in alignment with Trump’s Golden Fleet Initiative.

As per the plan, the Navy’s inventory would increase to 450 ships, including battle force ships, auxiliary ships, and unmanned vessels, by 2031.