U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Japanese Minister of Defense Hamada Yasukazu sealed two bilateral agreements to collaborate on technology research and defense supply chains.
The Department of Defense announced that the two officials signed a memorandum of understanding for research, development, test and evaluation projects, and a security of supply arrangement on Wednesday.
The legally binding RDT&E MOU is geared toward keeping the alliance ahead of technological advancements, it and also revises the Project for Cooperative Research MOU according to current standards of practice, laws and policies.
On the other hand, the non-binding SOSA provides the two agencies with a streamlined mechanism to mutually make urgent requests for industrial resources in the event of supply chain disruptions.
“To support U.S. forces and enhance Alliance cooperation towards these ends, the United States and Japan must focus our efforts to collaborate on sharpening the competitive edge of the Alliance to meet future force requirements and sustained logistics. This is a consequential moment for Japan and the U.S.-Japan Alliance as we embark on new forms of cooperation together,” said Austin, a two-time recipient of the Wash100 award.
