The Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Japanese Minister of Defense HAMADA Yasukazu have signed a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding for Research, Development, Tests, and Evaluation Projects (RDT&E) and a bilateral, non-binding Security of Supply Agreement (SOSA).
The RDT&E MOU is a legally binding contract in which the DOD and MOD pledge to expand options for American-Japanese partnerships on cutting-edge technology to enhance defense capabilities. The MOU will assist the Alliance in sustaining a technological lead in vital and developing fields like high-power microwaves, autonomous systems, and counter-hypersonics. The MOU also modifies the Project for Cooperative Research (PCR) MOU, streamlining procedures and revising it to reflect current U.S.-Japan RDT&E standards of practice.
The SOSA establishes an agreement between the US and Japan to provide priority support for goods and services that benefit national security and establishes a streamlined framework for the DOD and MOD to request rapid handling of industrial resources to address unanticipated supply chain interruptions and maintain national security requirements.
Secretary Austin and Minister Hamada signed the RDT&E MOU and the SOSA at a ceremony at the Pentagon on the margins of the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee ("2+2"), which occurred at the State Department on January 11, 2023.
"Today, I am delighted for Minister Hamada and I to sign two defense enabling arrangements to increase our opportunities for expanded and deepened cooperation on advanced technologies and defense supply chains," said Secretary Austin. "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."
