USN to conduct more repairs at Japanese shipyards
Nikkei Asia
U.S. Navy prepares to conduct extensive repairs at Japan shipyards
By Sadayasu Sonja and Takumi Kobayashi
20 January 2024
Working group to iron out details of move meant to reduce downtime for vessels
U.S. naval bases in Japan, like Yokosuka seen here, can only perform simple ship maintenance. (Photo by Hideyuki Miura)
TOKYO -- A U.S.-Japan working group has been set up to allow U.S. naval vessels to undergo maintenance and repairs at private Japanese shipyards, in a bid to improve readiness and better counter China's military buildup.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel announced the working group, the Ship Repair Council Japan, on Friday. "Keeping U.S. Navy ships in theater and in service strengthens the U.S.-Japan Alliance and our joint deterrence," he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
According to U.S. officials, the working group will include the U.S. Navy, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and private companies from Japan and the U.S.
"We hope to have the first event next month," Emanuel said on Friday.
Earlier that day, Emanuel visited United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka, a naval base in Kanagawa prefecture, near Tokyo. Private shipyards that repair ships for the MSDF would be potential candidates, he told reporters while at the base.
Forward-deployed U.S. warships in Japan can undergo simple maintenance at U.S. bases in Yokosuka and Sasebo, in Nagasaki prefecture on the southernmost main island of Kyushu, but must return to the U.S. for extensive repairs and overhauls. Allowing such work to be done in Japan would reduce downtime and costs.
Emanuel stressed that it is crucial to have ships remain in the region, rather than return to the U.S., to be able to handle emergencies. "It's our hope that obviously American shipyards and workers stay focused on building new surface ships," he added.
The U.S. Navy has previously repaired supply ships without missile or other combat capabilities in Japan and the Philippines. Emanuel said the working group was set up this time "so we get past one-offs... and make it a more permanent part of our process.”
China is thought to have the largest number of warships in the world and there are concerns the gap with the U.S. will continue to widen.
In recent years, China has been actively engaging in maritime expansion, setting up structures in the South and East China seas and conducting aggressive military maneuvers. The ship repair effort is in line with the current U.S. policy of integrated deterrence, which involves working with allies and other countries to deal with China.
The U.S. military is rushing to strengthen its posture in Asia, significantly boosting its fiscal 2024 defense budget for related efforts.