Headlines:
- US-Japan “2+2” advances C2 upgrade, defense cooperation
- Allied defense industrial cooperation gets boost from Tokyo 2+2
- Nipro Medical to build new manufacturing facility in Greenville, NC
- Defense Chiefs from ROK-US-Japan trilateral and Quad Foreign Ministers convene for meetings in Tokyo
Details:
- Defense Secretary Austin and Secretary of State Blinken unveiled plans with Japanese counterparts in Tokyo (Defense Minister Kihara and Foreign Minister Kamikawa) to convert US Forces Japan into a new 3-star US joint force headquarters over the next few years to become an in-country counterpart for Japan’s first joint operational command. The July 28 Security Consultative Committee meeting (or “2+2”) identified shared command and control (C2) principles such as applying to the security of Japan and the Indo-Pacific region, facilitating greater interoperability for certain missions, and keeping the Alliance Coordination Mechanism in a key oversight role. The 2+2 also included a minister-level dialogue on extended deterrence and advanced defense industrial collaboration and other defense initiatives in space, information security, fighter aircraft training and readiness, electronic warfare, and other areas.
- At the 2+2, the allies announced that the US-Japan Forum on Defense Industrial Cooperation and Acquisition and Sustainment (DICAS) would focus on advancing missile (AMRAAM, PAC-3) co-production efforts, building supply chain resilience, and ship and aircraft repair. In addition, the US will buy 3 billion yen ($19 million)-worth of Japanese-made Patriot missiles to help replenish American stockpiles depleted by recent sales to Ukraine. Separately, the US Defense Dept announced July 19 that Northrop Grumman received a $1.5b contract to produce nine E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft for the US Navy and Japan Maritime Self Defense Force. The State Dept approved the sale of the five aircraft for Japan and other related equipment in 2023. Also, Mitsubishi Electric received a contract from Raytheon to supply components for its SPY-6(V) radar system used on US Navy ships and join the supply chain.
- Nipro Medical Corp. is investing $397.8 million to build a new manufacturing facility in Greenville, NC, creating over 230 jobs. The site will produce advanced medical devices for diabetes and renal health and will include a medical training center and customer service center. Supported by state and local incentives, this will be Nipro’s fifth US site, boosting North Carolina’s life sciences sector. Gov. Roy Cooper and Nipro officials announced the project, following other major investments in the state by Japanese companies like Toyota’s $8 billion battery plant.
- Defense chiefs from the US, Japan, and South Korea convened for a Trilateral Ministerial Meeting in Tokyo for the first time on July 28. They signed the Trilateral Security Cooperation Framework to institutionalize defense cooperation, including policy consultations, information sharing, and joint exercises, amid growing regional threats from North Korea and China. Plans were also announced to meet on a rotational basis, with the next meeting set for South Korea in 2025. Similarly, on July 29, the Quad Foreign Ministers from Japan, Australia, India, and the US met, led by Japan’s Yoko Kamikawa. The ministers pledged to support ASEAN and Pacific Island nations, enhance maritime security, and improve regional cybersecurity. They announced a maritime legal dialogue and infrastructure initiatives, while emphasizing adherence to international law and calling for UN reforms to address global security challenges.
“US-Japan Alliance Digest” is a bi-weekly summary of bilateral and related developments compiled by Sasakawa USA’s “US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative.” To receive “Alliance Digest” via email, contact egulum@spfusa.org.
