By Newspot Nigeria International Affairs Desk
In a strategic bid to bolster the United States’ naval capacity and counter China’s growing dominance in the global shipbuilding industry, U.S. Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan has announced plans to deepen maritime collaboration with Japan. Phelan’s proposal includes the development of “dual-use” commercial vessels—ships that function for civilian purposes in peacetime but can be quickly converted for military use during a crisis.
Speaking to Nikkei Asia ahead of a meeting with Japan’s Defense Minister Gen Nakatani in Tokyo, Phelan emphasized the need to “look at all options” in order to close the gap with China, which now commands more than 50% of global commercial ship orders by gross tonnage.
The initiative, if adopted, would allow Japanese firms to invest in American shipyards and co-develop vessels that enhance operational compatibility between the U.S. Navy and Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force. Japan remains the world’s third-largest shipbuilder, after China and South Korea.
While the scope of the plan is still being finalized, it may complement existing efforts under the Ship Repair Council Japan—a cooperative mechanism formed in 2024 to reduce maintenance delays for U.S. Navy ships by utilizing Japanese private shipyards. That arrangement is part of the broader U.S.-Japan Defense Industrial Cooperation framework.
Secretary Phelan also visited Japan Marine United’s Isogo Works in Yokohama and is scheduled to travel to South Korea to court similar investments from Korean shipbuilders, following South Korea’s lead in acquiring and revitalizing U.S. shipyards, as seen with Hanwha Ocean’s $100 million acquisition in Philadelphia.
The push toward dual-use vessels reflects a growing concern in Washington over China’s civil-military shipbuilding fusion, which has enabled the rapid conversion of commercial fleets into wartime assets—especially in scenarios involving Taiwan. Beijing’s strategy has tilted the regional maritime balance by integrating commercial shipping into military readiness through standardized technical designs.
As China’s naval expansion continues at breakneck speed, the United States—currently ranked sixth in global shipbuilding—hopes to leverage its alliances to revitalize its maritime industrial base.
This development marks a new chapter in U.S.-Japan defense cooperation and sends a signal of deeper strategic alignment in the Indo-Pacific.
Newspot Nigeria will continue to monitor this evolving maritime alliance and its implications for global security and naval balance.
