US Navy weighs foreign frigate designs to offset shipbuilding shortfall

Washington is reportedly considering Japanese, South Korean, or Turkish frigate designs to expand the US naval fleet, following a National Security Presidential Memorandum on August 13 that calls for leveraging foreign shipbuilding capacity. The move signals a significant shift in US defense industrial policy, acknowledging domestic shipbuilding shortfalls, but faces likely congressional opposition. The plan's feasibility and scope remain uncertain, with no specific design or procurement timeline confirmed.