US-Japan Guidelines Update

The United States and Japan expect to complete the update to their bilateral defense strategic guidelines ahead of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s state visit later this month, said Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Christine Wormuth. Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee on April 15, Wormuth said there would be changes incorporated into the document to reflect Japan’s new security posture. The updated guidelines will address topics including “collective self-defense” action by the Japanese defense forces, US-Japan alliance coordination mechanisms, and policy updates covering peacetime military cooperation in missions, such as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; missile defense; and space and cyber operations, she said. Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited Japan earlier this month to discuss progress on the negotiations. Abe is scheduled to touch down in the United States on April 28. (Wormuth’s written testimony)