Japan and the United States are considering allowing U.S. Navy warships to undergo extensive repairs at private shipyards, enabling the ships to stay longer in Japanese waters without returning home for maintenance, government sources have said.
The issue is expected to be discussed when Prime Minister Fumio Kishida travels to the United States to meet President Joe Biden in April, the sources said Friday. Such a deal is expected to improve the efficiency of U.S. military operations based in Japan amid China's growing military assertiveness in the region.
So far, Japanese private companies have been engaging in the repair work of U.S. military vessels that do not directly engage in combat, such as transport ships, according to a Defense Ministry source.