Pacific Perspective:White House Document Outlines Deepening US/Japan Strategic Alliance Part 2

As our countries strengthen their bilateral ties,we will continue to build our relationship with like-minded partners in the region.Today,we announce our decision to cooperate on a networked air defence architecture among the United States,Japan,and Australia to counter growing air and missile threats.Recognising Japan's strengths and close bilateral defence partnerships with the AUKUS countries,AUKUS partners-Australia,the United Kingdom and the United States-are considering cooperation with Japan on AUKUS Pillar II advanced capability projects.Continuing the momentum from the Camp David Summit,we welcome progress on establishing an annual multi-domain exercise between the United States,Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK).Recognising the commitments made in the Atlantic Declaration and the Hiroshima Accords,and as the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions become ever more interlinked,we wlcome the announcement of regular U.S.-Japan-UK trilateral exercises,begining in 2025,as we enhance our shared enduring security.Building on the announcement at the Australian Official Vist in October to pursue trilateral cooperation with Japan on unmanned aerial systems,we are exploring cooperative opportunities in the rapidly emerging field of collaborative combat aircraft and autonomy...We reaffirm the critical importance to enhance U.S. extended deterrence,bolstered by Japan's defence capabilities,and will further strengthen bilateral cooperation.In this regard,we call on our respective foreign and defence mimisters to hold in-depth discussions on extended deterrence on the occasion of the next 2+2 meeting.(Note:extended deterrence is a commitment to deter,and,if necessary,to respond across the spectrum of potential nuclear and non-nuclear scenarios in defence of Allies and Partners).*We continue to deepen our cooperation on information and cyber security to ensure our Alliance stays ahead of growing cyber threats and builds resilience in the information and communication technology domain.We also plan on enhancing our cooperation on the protetction of critical infrastructure...Reaching New Frontiers in Space:Our global partnership extends to space,where the United States and Japan are leading the way to explore the solar system and return to the Moon.Today,we welcome the signing of a Lunar Surface Exploration Implementing Arrangement,in which Japan plans to provide and sustain operation of a pressurised lunar rover which the United States plans to allocate two flight opportunities to the lunar surface for Japan on future Artemis missions.The leaders announced a shared goal for a Japanese national to be the first non-American astronaut to land on the Moon on a future Artemis mission,assuming independent benchmarks are achieved...We also announce bilateral cooperation on a Low Earth Orbit detection and tracking constellation for missiles such as hypersonic glide vehicles,including potential cooperation with U.S. industry.*We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to the Quad (US-Australia-Japan-India) and its shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific that is stable,prosperous and inclusive which continues to deliver results for the region.We reiterate the Quad's unwavering support and respect for regional institutions,including ASEAN,the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association.We also reaffirm our support for ASEAN centrality and unity as well as the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Southeast Asian (countries that) are critical partners in the Indo-Pacific,and the U.S.-Japan-Philippines trilateral aims to enhance trilateral defence and security cooperation while promising economic security and resilience.

Fmr. Top NATO official pens letter to Biden warning of threats from authoritarian powers - MSNBC - YouTube

with Johnathan Capehart*Note:The Senate approved by a large bipartisan majority the 95 billion dollar foreign aid bill for Ukraine,Israel,Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific on 23 April 2023 and President Biden will sign it on 24 April 2024.

Queen meets Royal Lancers for first time as Colonel-in-Chief - YouTube - The Royal Family Channel - 22 APR 2024

Ukrainian President Zelensky praises House passage of aid - CNN

with Fredericka Whitfield,CNN War Correspondent in Ukraine Fred Pleitkin,and Jill Dougherty,Adjunct Professor Georgetown University and former CNN Moscow Bureau Chief

USAF, NATO. B-1B Lancer bombers in Spain. Engine maintenance and combat missions -YouTube

B-1B Lancer strategic bombers were deployed by Air Force Global Strike Command out of Dyess Air Force Base,Texas.on a Bomber Task Force mission.The missions enable air crews to maintain a high state of readiness,proficiency and validate the USAF's always ready global strike capability.The strategic missions help develop the ability to operate in unfamiliar or austere locations and readily integrate with NATO Allies and Partners.The BTF mission is conducted in multiple combatant command Areas of Responsibility (AORs) and demonstrate the DOD'S ability to command and control its bomber forces for any assigned mission,anywhere in the world at any time,in support of the U.S. National Defense Strategy.At the same time,the BTF mission includes achieving deterrence and defence for the NATO Alliance.*Furthermore,a B-1B Lancer has been pulled from the boneyard,an arrid repository of retired aircraft,at Davis-Monthan Air Fore Base in Tucson,Arizona.It is being refurbished to help with the surge in demand for Bomber Task Force missions.

NATO Secretary General doorstep at the G7 Foreign Ministers, 18 APR 2024 - YouTube

House Speaker Mike Johnson's 61 billion dollar aid package for Ukraine is scheduled for a vote on 20 April 2024.It has strong bipartisan support.

Pacific Perspective:White House Document Outlines Deepening US/Japan Strategic Alliance

In a document dated 10 April 2024,and called "United States-Japan Joint Leaders' Statement - Global Partners for the Future",the two countries outline a number of decisions that have been made recently:Over the course of the last three years,the U.S.-Japan Alliance has reached unprecedented heights.We arrived at this historic moment because our nations,individually and together,took courageous steps to strengthen our collective capacity in ways that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago.Today,we,President Joseph R. Biden,Jr.,and Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio,celebrate this new era of U.S.-Japan strategic cooperation during the Prime Minister's official visit and State Dinner in Washington,D.C.-and pledge that the United States and Japan will continue our tireless work,together with our other partners,to realise a free and open Indo-Pacific and world.In this era of U.S.-Japan cooperation,we recognise that global events affect the security and the stability of the Indo-Pacific,and that developments in our shared region reverberate around the world.We are therefore working together,across all domains,to build a global partnership that is fit to address the complex,interconnected challenges of today and tomorrow for the benefit of our two countries and the world.At the core of our cooperation is a shared commitment to work with like-minded partners and multilateral institutions to address common challenges and to ensure a world that is free,open,connected,resilient,and secure.These joint efforts are based on our shared fundamental respect for international law,including the protection and promotion of human rights and dignity,the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states,and the prohibition on acquisition of territory by force.Our purpose as partners is to uphold and bolster the free and open international order based on the rule of law that has allowed so many nations to develop and prosper,and to ensure our Alliance is equipped to tackle the challenges of the 21st century.*To advance our global partnership,today we announce several new strategic initiatives to strengthen our defence and security cooperation;reach new frontiers in space;drive technology innovations;bolster economic security;accelerate climate action;partner on global diplomacy and development;and fortify the ties between our peoples.Through our partnership,we are also synchronising our strategies,and our two nations have never been more united as we work together to address the most pressing challenges and opportuniities of the future.*The core of our global partnership is our bilateral defence and security cooperation under the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security,which is stronger than ever.We affirm that our Alliance remains the cornerstone of peace,security,and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.President Biden reiterated the unwavering commitment of the United States to the defence of Japan under Article V of the Treaty,using the full range of capabilities,including nuclear capabilities.Prime Minister Kishida reaffirmed Japan's unwavering commitment to fundamentally reinforce its own defence capabilities and roles,and to enhance its close coordination with the United States under the Treaty.President Biden also affirmed that Article V also applies to the Senkaku Islands.We reiterated our strong opposition to any attempts by the People's Republic of China (PRC) to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea,including through actions that seek to undermine Japan's longstanding and peaceful administration of the Senkaku Islands.We welcome the progress in optimising Alliance force posture in areas including the Southwestern Islands to stregthen U.S.-Japan deterrence and response capabilities,and we confirm the importance of further advancing this initiative.*The United States welcomes the steps Japan is taking to fundamentally enhance its defence capabilities,its decision to possess counterstrike capabilities,and its plan to stand up the Japan Self-Defence Forces (JSDF) Joint Operations Command to enhance command and control of the JSDF.*Today,we announce several new strategic initiatives to further advance our Alliance.Recognising the speed at which regional security challenges evolve and to ensure our bilateral Alliance structures meet these critical changes,we announce our intention to to bilaterally upgrade our respective command and control frameworks to enable seamless integration of operations and capabilities and allow for greater interoperability between U.S. and Japanese forces in peace or contingencies...In support of this vision,we also reaffirm our goal to deepen Intelligence,Surveillance and Reconnaissance cooperation and Alliance information sharing capabilities,including through the Bilateral Information Analysis Cell.We will also continue to implement efforts to streghen our Alliance force posture,build high-end base capabilities,and increase preparedness that are necessary to deter and defend against threats.We resolve to deepen bilateral cooperation toward the effective development and employment of Japan's counterstrike capabilities,including the provision of U.S. matteriel and technological support to enhance Japan's indigenous stand-off programs.The United States expressed its commitment to start the training pipeline and ship modules for Japan to acquire operational capability of the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) system.We also reaffirmed the pursuit of a Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) cooperative development programme to counter high-end,regional hypersonic threats.