Japan: Military Alliances

(asked on 5th February 2019) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to strengthen the defence and security relationship between the UK and Japan.


This question was answered on 12th February 2019

In 2017 Prime Ministers May and Abe signed a Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation and reaffirmed this in January 2019 during Prime Minister Abe's visit to the UK. We have delivered on this throughout 2018 by deploying three Royal Navy ships to the region which exercised with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, and conducted the first-ever UK land exercise in Japan. In addition, we are developing an administrative and legal framework to support further exercises, operations, and capability partnerships, including the possibility of exploring cooperation on future combat aircraft and air-to-air missiles.

During HMS Montrose's upcoming deployment to the region, in support of United Nations Security Council Resolutions against North Korea, she will take the opportunity to exercise with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force.

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