Think Medium: The Case for “Minilateralism” to Boost Naval Shipbuilding

NATO's naval forces are a strategic cornerstone but also a point of vulnerability due to aging fleets, maintenance backlogs, and reduced industrial capacity. Confronted with threats from Russia and China, the alliance's maritime power depends heavily on the national programs of the U.S., U.K., and France, all of which face their own shipbuilding and fleet size challenges. The proposed solution is "minilateralism," where small, flexible groups of willing partners cooperate on strategic industrial sectors. This approach, particularly in naval shipbuilding, could allow key allies to more effectively ramp up capabilities and overcome the difficulties of large, unwieldy multinational projects.