Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William A. LaPlante will depart this week for a trip to Tokyo and Nagoya, Japan to reinforce the importance of the U.S. – Japan bilateral relationship for advancing regional peace, stability, and deterrence.
Following Prime Minister Kishida's Official Visit to Washington in April, Under Secretary LaPlante will conduct the first U.S. – Japan Defense Industrial Cooperation, Acquisition, and Sustainment Forum (DICAS) alongside Masaki Fukasawa, Commissioner of Japan's Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency. As announced during the April visit, the DICAS forum aims to promote greater U.S.-Japan defense industrial cooperation and accelerate opportunities for co-development, co-production, and co-sustainment.
While in Tokyo, Dr. LaPlante and Commissioner Fukasawa will also engage with U.S. and Japanese companies to discuss challenges and mitigations to cooperation.
Under Secretary LaPlante will conclude his trip with a visit to Nagoya and the F-35 Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility and regional aircraft depot.
