The US wants Japanese shipyards to assist in maintaining warship readiness for combat in Asia.

Japan and the United States are trying to work out an agreement for Japanese shipyards to periodically maintain and overhaul U.S. warships from the U.S. Navy that will remain in Asian waterways prepared for any future battle. Rahm Emanuel, the ambassador to Japan, stated on Friday.

China keeps an eye on the ships that arrive and depart. They know what is happening, so it's not like this is a secret. Thus, they assess your deterrent," Emanuel told reporters at the navy station in Yokosuka, close to Tokyo.

After decades of dominance in Asian seas, the Chinese navy is now posing a threat to the United States Navy as it builds more warships at a faster rate than the American military.

China's navy is the greatest in the world by numbers, with over 370 ships and submarines, up from 340 in 2023, according to an annual report provided by the Pentagon in October.
According to Emanuel, the use of Japanese dry docks would relieve pressure on American yards struggling with maintenance backlogs of up to 4,000 days and free them up to concentrate on shipbuilding that will enable the country to increase its fleet size.

He continued by saying that Washington and Tokyo had formed a council to devise a cooperative plan for the maintenance.

The largest concentration of American military force abroad is in Japan, an ally of the United States. It is home to the sole forward-deployed carrier strike group, which is based in Yokosuka. The Seventh Fleet, headquartered at the Japanese naval facility, is responsible for up to 70 ships and submarines. This particular group of warships is a part of that fleet.