US Navy expands reliance on Asian shipyards for warship maintenance amid domestic decline

The US Navy is increasingly outsourcing major maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) work on its warships to allied shipyards in Japan, Korea, and the Philippines, as highlighted by the emergency repair of USS Benfold at Subic Bay after a power failure in the South China Sea. This marks a strategic shift in US naval sustainment posture, reflecting the decline of its domestic shipbuilding base. The development underscores growing allied integration in US force projection but raises questions about long-term readiness and capacity constraints.