US Navy Studies Adopting Japanese, South Korean Frigates to Boost Production
Feasibility study in 2027 budget would mark first foreign major surface combatant purchase since World War II
Quick Look
- The US Navy is studying whether to adopt or co-produce foreign warships—Japan's Mogami-class and South Korea's Daegu-class frigates—to supplement US production lines.
- The 2027 budget includes a feasibility study.
- If approved, it would be the first major surface combatant purchase from a foreign partner since WWII.
AI-generated summary
The study – included in the 2027 budget – will look at the feasibility of adopting or co-producing advanced hulls such as Japan's Mogami-class and South Korea's Daegu-class frigates to supplement the US Navy's overstretched production lines, USNI News reported on Friday. If the plan goes ahead it will be the first time the US has bought a major surface combatant from a foreign partner since World War II. Japan's Mogami-class has a 5,500-tonne stealth hull with a high degree of automation. South Korea's Daegu-class is smaller at 3,600 tonnes and has a silent propulsion system. Both are equipped with US-standard systems, such as the MK-41 vertical launching system.
