US-Japan Meet to Discuss Space Defense Collaboration

US and Japanese defense leaders recently met to discuss new bilateral initiative to defend against threats in the space domain, US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) said in a press release.

"Japan fully understands the rapidly growing threats being developed by some countries, and has fully committed to ensuring space security with the US in the Pacific theater," STRATCOM Director of Plans and Policy Major General Clinton Crosier stated on Monday.

At the end of February, STRATCOM leaders met with their counterparts at the Japanese Ministry of Defense to further commitments on "space security partnering initiatives."

The initiatives include improving resiliency in space, joint security initiatives, and better sensor integration between JAXA, Japan's space agency, and STRATCOM.

Crosier maintained the US-Japanese bilateral talks will lead to "critically important" developments in the coming years to "increase our ability to protect our systems in a contested space environment."

STRATCOM pointed out the bilateral talks also included discussion of joint cyber defense, and missile defense initiatives.

The United States and Japan began negotiating regional defense cooperation following Japan's decision to reinterpret its constitution to allow for greater self-defense and regional engagement in security and stability.

Source: Sputnik News