Evaluating Pathways for U.S. Shipbuilding Cooperation With Allies

Abstract

The U.S. naval shipbuilding industrial base faces well-known challenges delivering ships on time and at cost. The U.S. shipbuilding challenge is a complex, enterprise-wide issue. There is no single policy solution or silver bullet to solve the overall problem. Solutions are urgently needed, but the inherent policy trade-offs must be carefully weighed. One option to address the challenges is through partnerships with close allies to enhance the shipbuilding enterprise. This research assesses three pathways for cooperation, including allied purchase and revitalization of U.S. shipyards; various methods of coproduction, including modular construction; and U.S. purchase of allied-built ships. These pathways, identified in a previous work, each present their own opportunities and challenges that are analyzed in this report. The paper also explored hybrid approaches that involve multiple pathways. The research focuses on the strong shipbuilding nations—and U.S. allies—South Korea and Japan as the most likely partners, but the findings are relevant to shipbuilding cooperation with other nations as well. This paper is a preliminary excerpt from a forthcoming work that discusses four pathways (including maintenance cooperation) and hybrid approaches in more detail.