Expanded US-Japan cooperation in military shipbuilding, repair, and maintenance is one promising area for both countries to pursue as part of their broader goals to enhance their domestic shipbuilding industries. Deepening US-Japan industrial cooperation in this area can build on past successes in co-development and co-production of defense-related equipment as well as cooperation in military ship repair and maintenance already underway. Such expanded cooperation also can further anchor the US-Japan alliance as the cornerstone of U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy.
Following Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi’s visit to Washington this month, three members of a recent Stimson Task Force on this topic will discuss specific short-term and medium-term proposals for jumpstarting expanded cooperation that the Task Force has developed. Stimson expert, Kelly Grieco, will provide additional insights and moderate questions from the audience.
A light breakfast will be offered to those attending in person.
Featured Speakers
Andrew Oros, Senior Fellow & Director, Japan Program (Opening Remarks)
Andrew L. Oros is a Senior Fellow and the Director of the Japan Program at the Stimson Center. His areas of expertise include Japanese domestic politics, Japan’s foreign relations, East Asian security, and the intersection of demographic change and national security readiness
Yuki Sekiguchi, Vice President, Cognitive Research Labs, Inc.
A former Rear Admiral of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, he previously served as Defense and Naval Attaché at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. His work currently focuses on cognitive warfare, AI-enabled command support systems, and defense innovation. He also serves as Project Leader for a UNIDO international project supporting the reconstruction of Ukraine through advanced security and technology cooperation.
Brent Sadler, Senior Research Fellow, Heritage Foundation
Brent Sadler joined Heritage Foundation after a 26-year Navy career with numerous operational tours on nuclear powered submarines, personal staffs of senior Defense Department leaders, and as a military diplomat in Asia. As a Senior Research Fellow, Brent’s focus is on maritime security and the technologies shaping our future maritime forces, especially the Navy.
Monica Dus, The University of Michigan Associate Professor, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts & Director, Office of National Laboratories, the Office of Vice President for Research and Innovation
Monica Dus is a professor at the University of Michigan, where she leads the NIH- and NSF-funded Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and directs the Office of National Labs in the Vice President for Research Office. Her research explores how food, genes, and physiology interact to shape health and behavior. A 2023 Guggenheim Fellow and 2023–2024 White House Fellow, she previously served as Special Assistant to the 78th Secretary of the Navy, leading science, education, and force resiliency initiatives.
Kelly Greico, Senior Fellow, Stimson Center (Moderator)
Kelly A. Grieco is a Senior Fellow with the Reimagining US Grand Strategy Program at the Stimson Center, where her work focuses on US foreign policy and defense policy, addressing questions about military strategy, force structure, military alliances, air operations, and the future of war.