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The talks are taking place as the US shipbuilding industry faces major challenges, including labour shortages, limited dry-dock capacity and long delays in key naval programmes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The US Navy is under pressure to modernise an ageing fleet and increase ship numbers, but domestic shipyards have been unable to meet demand at the required pace.<\/p>\n
US officials have acknowledged that the country\u2019s shipbuilding sector is facing serious difficulties.<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump has said his administration is looking at working with allied countries to deal with ship shortages, noting that the US no longer builds ships as quickly as it once did.<\/p>\n
Although US law usually limits the construction of military ships and major parts to domestic shipyards, it allows the president to approve exceptions in cases linked to national security.<\/p>\n
The US has already sought help from allies. In December 2024, South Korea\u2019s Hanwha Group bought Philly Shipyard in Pennsylvania for $100 million and announced plans to expand ship production in the country.<\/p>\n
Despite this, the US Navy continued to face challenges. In December 2025, the Pentagon cancelled the Constellation-class frigate programme due to rising costs and schedule delays.<\/p>\n
The frigates were planned to be built at a shipyard in Wisconsin in partnership with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri.<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrkiye has developed into a major naval shipbuilder in recent years through its national warship programme, M\u0130LGEM.<\/p>\n
Turkish shipyards are capable of building more than 30 naval vessels at the same time for domestic use and export customers, including Pakistan.<\/p>\n
Most of T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s naval shipyards are located around Pendik and Tuzla near Istanbul, as well as the Yalova region. Industry experts have said this geographic concentration allows Turkish shipyards to adapt quickly to new naval projects.<\/p>\n
As part of the ongoing discussions, a delegation from the US Naval Sea Systems Command visited the Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command in late January, according to T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s National Defense Ministry.<\/p>\n
Any deeper defence cooperation between the US and T\u00fcrkiye could face political scrutiny in Washington.<\/p>\n
The US imposed sanctions on T\u00fcrkiye under the Countering America\u2019s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act following Ankara\u2019s purchase of the Russian S-400 air defence system in 2019.<\/p>\n
However, officials familiar with the matter have indicated that shipbuilding cooperation is being viewed by some in the US administration as a way to strengthen relations while working within existing restrictions.<\/p>\n
Defence analysts have pointed out that T\u00fcrkiye has advantages the US currently lacks, including sufficient skilled labour, modern shipyards and experience in shared production models.<\/p>\n
Turkish shipbuilding projects often involve several shipyards working together, with different yards producing sections of a vessel that are later assembled and tested at a central facility.<\/p>\n
Experts have also noted that Turkish shipyards increasingly use automated production techniques, while many US yards continue to rely heavily on manual labour.<\/p>\n
According to analysts, T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s ability to manage production volume, timelines and workload distribution makes it a practical option as the US looks for ways to ease its shipbuilding bottlenecks.<\/p>\n
A US spokesperson has described T\u00fcrkiye as a longstanding and valued NATO ally, adding that the two navies have a strong partnership at sea and continue to explore ways to expand cooperation.<\/p>\n