The Government of the United States hosted the Government of Japan for an Extended Deterrence Dialogue (EDD) at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri on June 26-27, 2023. The United States and Japan established the EDD in 2010 as an enduring venue to discuss ways to sustain and strengthen extended deterrence, which is at the core of the Japan-U.S. Alliance. The Japanese side was co-chaired by Mr. Miyamoto Shingo, Deputy Director-General, North American Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Mr. Ando Atsushi, Deputy Director-General, Defense Policy Bureau, Ministry of Defense. The U.S. side was co-chaired by Ms. Alexandra Bell, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, Department of State, and Mr. Richard Johnson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Department of Defense.
This EDD meeting contributed to further Prime Minister Kishida and President Biden's shared commitment to strengthen extended deterrence. During the EDD, Japan and the United States held in-depth discussions on extended deterrence and consulted on measures to further enhance relevant bilateral cooperation. They shared assessments of the regional security environment, prospects for strategic arms control and risk reduction, reviewed conventional and U.S. nuclear capabilities contributing to regional deterrence, and highlighted the importance of optimizing the Alliance's force posture and activities to bolster deterrence effectiveness.
The United States reiterated its commitment to increase the visibility of U.S. strategic assets in the region. The two sides will continue to explore avenues to deepen Alliance cooperation through improved information sharing, training, and exercises, including the use of table-top exercises, to further prepare the Alliance to defend against potential attacks and deter nuclear employment. Both sides also pledged to improve coordination and strengthen the Alliance's capabilities and posture to adversary missile threats. Both sides discussed the importance of trilateral and multilateral cooperation to strengthen deterrence.
Furthermore, the two sides conducted a tabletop exercise, which has regularly been included in the EDD meeting agenda to discuss ways to coordinate Alliance deterrence efforts.
The delegations were briefed on the missions of Whiteman Air Force Base, experienced a B-2 flight simulator, and toured a B-2 strategic bomber and decommissioned Minuteman II launch control center.
