Key facts
- The U.S. Navy is considering procuring warships from allied nations including Japan, South Korea, and Turkey.
- The move aims to counter China's naval buildup and address U.S. domestic shipbuilding capacity limitations.
- Designs under consideration include South Korea's Chungnam-class frigate, Japan's Mogami-class frigate, and Turkey's Istanbul-class frigate.
- The U.S. may build an initial batch of ships overseas before transitioning production to domestic yards.
- President Donald Trump signed a national security memorandum allowing foreign shipbuilders to construct up to two ships for the U.S.
- A study on international combatants and support vessels is underway, with results due November 12, 2026.
The U.S. Navy is contemplating an unusual procurement strategy that involves acquiring warships built by allied nations like Japan, South Korea, and Turkey. This move is driven by the need to rapidly expand the U.S. fleet to keep pace with China's accelerating naval buildup and to address the limitations of the domestic shipbuilding industry. The initiative is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to bolster U.S. naval power.
Multiple naval officials and industry sources have indicated that the U.S. is considering frigate designs from these three countries for a potential new class of warships. Specifically, the designs under review include South Korea's Chungnam-class guided-missile frigate, the export version of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' FFM Mogami-class guided-missile frigate from Japan, and the Istanbul-class guided-missile frigate built by Turkish shipyards. This approach, sometimes referred to as the "Finland Model," could involve building an initial batch of ships in foreign shipyards before transitioning production to U.S. yards.
President Donald Trump recently signed a national security memorandum that permits foreign shipbuilders to construct up to two ships for delivery to the United States. Following this directive, Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao has tasked the office of the assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, William Mahan, with overseeing a study on international combatants and support vessels. This assessment is scheduled for completion by November 12, 2026. The U.S. Naval Institute's news outlet, USNI News, first reported on the ongoing Navy study, citing anonymous sources. The acquisition of foreign-built warships would represent a significant departure from over a century of U.S. naval construction practices.