To preserve sea power, US looks to Japan for help 

FILE - Crew of the U.S. navy aircraft carriers USS Ronald Reagan rig a ship for the voyage at the US navy's Yokosuka base, May 16, 2024, in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo. This is the ship's final departure from Yokosuka before transiting back to the US. This handout photo taken by the US Navy and released Jan. 18, 2024 by the Joint Staff Office of the Defense Ministry of Japan shows the US Navy USS Kidd following the USS Carl Vinson during maritime exercises with the navies of Japan and South Korea.

U.S. naval dominance, unchallenged for decades, is now coming under strain as China’s state-backed shipbuilding industry rapidly expands, while the U.S. Navy faces severe maintenance delays.