U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel has a reputation for getting what he wants. As a former White House staffer and politician who operated at the highest echelons of American politics, he persistently pushed through policies.
Now, as the top American diplomat in Tokyo, he managed to help guide Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and President Joe Biden toward supporting the expanded maintenance and repairs of U.S. ships and aircraft in Japanese facilities. A newly established U.S.-Japan Forum on Defense Industrial Cooperation, Acquisition and Sustainment will convene in June to iron out the details and identify areas for better Japanese and U.S. industrial partnership.
As policymakers set the agenda for the DICAS meeting, they may be tempted to rally around marquee codevelopment programs such as the so-called Glide Phase Interceptor to counter hypersonic missiles. While an important joint project, it is only one of many potential opportunities. Similar approaches were tried by the alliance in the past and lost steam. For DICAS to succeed, it will need to swiftly meet the operational demands facing defense forces and build momentum by getting some quick wins.