Japanese and United States officials recently met at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, for the nations’ latest Extended Deterrence Dialogue (EDD).
The meeting, hosted by the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) in June 2025, gave leaders an opportunity to discuss strategic deterrence, the regional security environment, the Japan-U.S. alliance defense posture, nuclear and missile defense policy, arms control, and risk reduction, as well as deepening mutual understanding on alliance strategies and capabilities. The Japanese delegation included representatives from the Defense and Foreign Affairs ministries, and the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Gen. Thomas Bussiere, commander of AFGSC, hosted the delegation on a tour of B-52 bombers on the base. AFGSC manages the nation’s three intercontinental ballistic missile wings, the B-52, B-1 and B-2 strategic bomber wings, the B-21 Raider program, and the Air Force Nuclear Command, Control and Communications systems. It also provides operational and maintenance support to organizations in the nation’s nuclear enterprise.
Established in 2010, the EDD provides a formal dialogue between Japan and the U.S. as they seek to strengthen their longtime alliance. In a significant step, U.S. Forces Japan announced in late 2024 that it would transition to a Joint Force Headquarters beginning in 2025. The move will address escalating threats from China, North Korea and Russia by integrating U.S. air, land, sea, space and cyber forces under a single headquarters in Japan.
“Japan is our indispensable partner in deterring communist Chinese military aggression,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a March 2025 visit to Tokyo, The Associated Press (AP) reported. The new headquarters “increases our readiness to respond to [any] contingency or crisis, support U.S. operations and help Japan and U.S. forces defend [Japan’s] territory,” he said.
Japan also is seeking closer ties with NATO. In an April 2025 meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Tokyo, Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani announced his country’s interest in participating in the 32-member security alliance’s support to Ukraine. That meeting followed Japan’s opening of a NATO diplomatic mission in Brussels, Belgium, in January 2025.
Japan’s Cabinet approved a record $55 billion defense budget for 2025 as part of a five-year buildup under the 2022 national security strategy. By 2027, the country’s defense spending will equal 2% of gross domestic product.
Tokyo announced plans to deploy U.S.-made Tomahawk missiles in 2025 as part of a “standoff defense system” that includes long-range missiles, satellite networks and uncrewed systems, according to the AP. Japan also announced in April 2025 that it will domestically develop long-range, precision-guided missiles to “prevent and eliminate invading troops,” according to the Defense Ministry.
Sentry is a professional military magazine published by U.S. Strategic Command to provide a forum for national security personnel.
