To counter China; US considers buying warships from Japan, South Korea

The US Navy is considering procuring warships built in Japan and South Korea, a highly unusual step aimed at rapidly expanding its fleet to counter China’s naval expansion while American shipyards rebuild capacity, according to the English-speaking Japanese news outlet Nikkei Asia.

Multiple naval officials told Nikkei that Washington is examining options to buy vessels constructed by allied shipbuilders.

One official said the Navy is “actively developing options to fulfill the President’s intent to deliver ships faster while ensuring long-term investment, technology transfer, and workforce expansion within United States shipyards.”

Another acknowledged shortfalls in ship numbers and noted, “We could buy several Japanese frigates… Japanese vessels are excellent.”

The discussions focus on designs such as Japan’s Mogami-class (including its upgraded “New FFM” export variant built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) and South Korean frigates such as the Chungnam-class.

These would potentially allow construction of an initial one or two ships overseas before shifting production to US yards, under a framework that requires foreign builders to invest in American facilities, transfer technology, and train US workers.

This approach follows an August White House memorandum that invoked a national-security waiver to ease longstanding restrictions on foreign-built warships entering US Navy service.

The fiscal year 2027 budget process has included substantial funding—around $1.85 billion in related study and procurement efforts—for evaluating allied shipyards and designs, initially centered on Japan and South Korea.

US domestic shipbuilding has faced persistent delays and capacity constraints, while China’s navy has grown rapidly.

Japanese and South Korean yards have demonstrated faster, more cost-effective production of modern surface combatants.

South Korean firms such as Hanwha Ocean already hold stakes in US shipyards, and Japanese designs like the Mogami class have gained international traction, including selection by Australia.

Navy officials and industry sources indicate the effort forms part of a broader push under the Trump administration to expand the fleet quickly.

An assessment of international options is expected by mid-November 2026.

Congressional measures have sought limits on foreign construction, creating potential friction.

Any purchases would mark a major departure from more than a century of primarily domestic US naval construction and would be conditioned on strengthening the American industrial base over the longer term.