How Asian shipyards in Japan, Korea and Philippines keep US warships battle ready

The United States relies heavily on Asian shipyards in Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines to keep its warships battle-ready. After a power failure in July, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Benfold was towed to Subic Bay, Philippines for emergency repairs, which took about 10 days. While US law requires major warships to be built domestically, outsourcing maintenance and repair operations to foreign shipyards provides more flexibility, particularly for ships stationed overseas.

Regional allies like Japan and South Korea play a vital role due to their distance from the US mainland and increasing strategic competition with China. Japan and South Korea have advanced shipbuilding industries, ranking second and third in the world, respectively. In Japan, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) operates the largest ship repair yard in the country, capable of accommodating ships up to 270,000 tonnes.

MHI successfully serviced an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in 2019 and secured a regular overhaul contract for a Puller-class expeditionary mobile base. The US Navy also collaborates with major South Korean shipbuilders, such as Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, for logistical vessels. In July 2024, Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries became the first South Korean shipyards to obtain US Navy Master Ship Repair Agreements, enabling them to bid on and perform MRO work on US naval vessels.