US and Japan hold Extended Deterrence Dialogue to strengthen security cooperation

Asia-Pacific, News, US June 30, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

Officials from the United States and Japan met at the Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, U.S. for Extended Deterrence Dialogue (EDD). During the two-day meeting, the two sides exchanged ideas on bolstering bilateral security cooperation.

The Japanese delegation was co-chaired by the Director-General of the North American Affairs Bureau at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Miyamoto Shingo, and the Deputy Director-General of the Defense Policy Bureau of the Japanese Ministry of Defense Ando Atsushi.

The U.S. side was co-chaired by Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance at the U.S. Department of State Alexandra Bell, and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Policy of the U.S. Department of Defense Richard Johnson.

According to a statement released by the U.S. State Department, the EDD meeting, which was held on June 26-27, contributed to further President Biden’s and Prime Minister Kishida’s shared commitment to strengthen bilateral cooperation of extended deterrence. The statement added that the two sides had in-depth discussions on matters related to regional and global security dynamics and consulted on measures to further enhance relevant bilateral cooperation.

The meeting also focused on a shared assessment of the regional security environment, and prospects for strategic arms control and risk reduction, reviewing conventional and U.S. nuclear capabilities contributing to regional deterrence. The officials highlighted the importance of optimizing the U.S.-Japan alliance’s force posture and activities to bolster deterrence effectiveness.

The U.S.-Japan Extended Deterrence Dialogue (EDD) was established in 2010 as a platform to discuss ways to sustain and strengthen extended deterrence. The U.S. State Department and the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that during the latest EDD meeting, the two sides reiterated their commitment to increase the visibility of strategic assets in the region.

*^{U.S. and Japanese officials attending Extended Deterrence Dialogue at the Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, U.S. (Image Credit: Twitter/@ryankakiuchan)}*

The two sides also committed to exploring avenues to deepen Alliance cooperation through improved information sharing, training, and exercises, including the use of tabletop exercises, to further prepare the Alliance to defend against potential attacks and deter nuclear employment.

The U.S. and Japanese officials also pledged to improve coordination and strengthen the Alliance’s capabilities and posture against adversary missile threats. Both sides discussed the importance of multilateral cooperation to strengthen deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

Furthermore, the two sides conducted a tabletop exercise, which has regularly been included in the EDD meeting agenda to discuss ways to coordinate joint deterrence efforts. The Japanese delegation was also briefed on the missions of Whiteman Air Force Base as they visited and experienced a B-2 flight simulator, and toured a B-2 strategic bomber and decommissioned Minuteman II launch control center.