US Seeks Support From Japan And South Korea To Reopen Redundant Shipyards
The US is courting its Asian allies, South Korea and Japan, to help it restart the redundant shipyards to match China’s bolstering shipbuilding capability.
The US Navy’s Secretary, made pitches to take part in initiatives to resurrect shuttered US shipyards during visits to two shipyards based in South Korea and a Japanese one over the past week.
The US Ambassador to Japan stated that the visit primarily served two main goals: to examine repairs made to the USNS Big Horn and assess whether the Japanese firm would be keen on investing in a closed shipyard.
For US Navy war vessels to be in Asian waters and prepared for future confrontations, the US and Japan are attempting to conclude to empower Japan’s shipyards to carry out overhauls and routine maintenance.
The move has come through when there’s widespread concern in the US regarding lowered capacity of shipyards brought about by delays and cost overruns for major military programs.
Reports from May last year showed that the US Navy had been exploring private shipyards in Japan to repair, maintain, and refurbish warships.
America has witnessed a significant dip in shipbuilding capacity. Nine of 13 public naval shipyards the US had formerly are now closed.