As the U.S. Navy expands its presence in the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran conflict, experts have published a report challenging the current shipbuilding strategy and urging a stronger maritime industrial base through alliances.

The Center for Maritime Strategy argues that amid an “atrophy” of the maritime industrial base, the United States should utilize its partnerships with naval allies to boost its shipbuilding, technological and strategic capabilities.

The assessment comes as the Navy finds itself in the spotlight for its role in the Iran war, a conflict that strains assets already under pressure and shows no signs of slowing.

The report notes that the United States must rethink how it builds ships and sustains the industrial workforce necessary to do so over the coming decades.

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“The U.S. [maritime industrial base] must be reconstituted quickly, utilizing the most modern equipment and procedures to meet the growing threats to the United States and its allies and partners,” the report reads. These words set the tone for a strategic shift toward deeper international cooperation.

The current fiscal path is also under scrutiny. President Donald Trump’s fiscal 2027 budget request allots $65.8 billion for shipbuilding to produce 18 battle force ships and 16 nonbattle force ships, doubling the amount of ships produced in fiscal 2026.

This investment is described as a step to strengthen the maritime industrial base by producing ships that are simpler to construct than battle ships, given their lack of radar systems and nuclear propulsion systems.

At a WEST Conference in February 2026, Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric Smith pointed to a core challenge that goes beyond hardware. “Everything costs what it costs,” Smith said at the conference.

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“I don’t want to pay $4 billion for a ship, neither does my shipmate [Chief of Naval Operations Adm.] Daryl Caudle. But that’s what it costs to have pipefitters, steamfitters, welders, electricians build the ship.” The comment underscores a broader truth: the logistics and labor forces behind shipbuilding are as critical as the vessels themselves, and retaining skilled workers is essential to any revitalization plan.

The Navy currently sits at roughly 295 ships, with projections calling for a fleet larger than today’s as the service retires more vessels than it commissions.

The service has set a 30-year goal to maintain a fleet of 381 ships, reflecting concerns about global threats and the need for mass, ready capability. These numbers frame a national strategy that must balance modernization with the maintenance of existing assets.

Meanwhile, U.S. forces have continued to deploy to the Middle East to support ongoing operations in Iran, including the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group and associated Maritime Expeditionary Unit. The group comprises about 5,000 personnel and ships such as the USS Tripoli, USS New Orleans and USS San Diego, illustrating how maritime power is projected across theaters.

The report also reflects on readiness. A 2025 Military Times analysis found a drop in readiness among amphibious assault ships, highlighting a broader concern about the health of the fleet amid aggressive counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism efforts in the region.

The Center for Maritime Strategy argues seven objectives to strengthen the industrial base, including reforming the design process, embracing new technologies and relying more on allies.

Among the most consequential recommendations is a push to leverage allied cooperation in a systematic way. The report emphasizes the involvement of U.S. allies the most, specifically the Republic of Korea, Italy, Canada, Sweden and the United Kingdom, to model existing frameworks, use allied ports and supplement the domestic shipbuilding labor pool with migrants from the allied countries.

“For the Navy to meet the challenges it faces in the coming decades, the United States must take advantage of its strong partnerships with naval allies to support a collective revitalization of the allied maritime industrial base,” Kenneth Braithwaite, the 77th Navy secretary, said in the report’s foreword.

These words underscore a strategy that treats alliance-based capacity as a national security asset rather than a rival constraint.

The report does not merely highlight obstacles. It outlines a path that treats allied labor pools and shared facilities as strategic force multipliers. By expanding design collaboration and integrating foreign ports into production lines, the United States could accelerate shipbuilding while maintaining high standards and protecting critical technology.

The emphasis on allies, ports and mobility is underscored by the broader strategic logic of a resilient national defense. The team behind the study argues that a revitalized industrial base must be able to adapt to rapidly evolving threats, and that partnership is not ancillary but central to meeting those threats.

The goal is not only to replace ships faster but to ensure the United States can sustain a robust, technologically advanced fleet backed by a capable, distributed industrial network.

In this view, the path to meaningful national safeguarding lies in a coordinated, alliance-driven effort to reconstitute and enhance the maritime backbone of American power.

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