US turns to allies to tackle navy shipbuilding backlog
As the US Navy faces shipbuilding backlogs, international partnerships are set to play a role in ensuring the Ohio-class and future submarines remain at the forefront of naval capability. (Photo: US Navy)
A White House memorandum acknowledges US Navy shipbuilding backlogs and a weakened industrial base, opening a formal path for South Korean and Japanese yards to help rebuild capacity.
A memorandum signed by US President Donald Trump on 13 August 2026 has offered the clearest acknowledgement yet from the White House that the US Navy’s (USN) shipbuilding effort is falling short, citing large backlogs across six major shipbuilding programmes and a maritime industrial base weakened by decades of underinvestment.
Titled “Rebuilding the United States Navy and America’s Shipbuilding Industrial Base”, the memorandum directed the US Department of Defense (DoD) to expand competition and capacity across the maritime industrial base while permitting the near-term use of foreign suppliers to offset the shortfall, provided those partners simultaneously invest in rebuilding US shipyards.
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