U.S. Navy to conduct extensive repairs at Japan shipyards

U.S. Navy to conduct extensive repairs at Japan shipyards

TOKYO -- A U.S.-Japan working group has been set up to allow U.S. naval vessels to undergo maintenance and repairs at private Japanese shipyards to improve readiness and better counter China's military buildup.
 
Forward-deployed U.S. warships in Japan can undergo simple maintenance at U.S. naval bases in Yokosuka, Kanagawa prefecture and Sasebo, Nagasaki prefecture, but must return to the U.S. for extensive repairs and overhauls. Allowing such work to be done in Japan would reduce downtime and costs.
 
"Keeping U.S. Navy ships in theater and in service strengthens the U.S.-Japan Alliance and our joint deterrence," U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, the driving force behind the experiment, tweeted on Friday. Private shipyards that provide repairs for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force would be potential candidates, Emanuel told reporters in Yokosuka.
 
"It's our hope that obviously American shipyards and workers stay focused on building new surface ships," he added.