Readout of Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti’s Meeting with Chief of Staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Adm. Akira Saito

Chief of Naval Operations Spokesperson Navy Cmdr. Desiree Frame provided the following readout:

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti met with Chief of Staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Adm. Akira Saito in Perth, Australia while in town for the Indian Ocean Defense and Security Conference, July 24.

Franchetti congratulated Saito on his appointment as Chief of Staff and reaffirmed that the U.S. - Japan Alliance remains the cornerstone of our regional security strategy to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.

During their meeting the leaders discussed Franchetti’s recent visit to JS Kunisaki (LST-4003) during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, and Franchetti praised JMSDF for their expanded leadership role in the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response portion of the exercise.

The two Heads of Navy said the size and scope of this year’s RIMPAC has allowed all 29 nations participating to expand training opportunities and experiment with new technology while at the same time reinforcing their commitment to peace, stability and prosperity in the region. Franchetti said she looks forward to continued opportunities for bilateral and multilateral exercises with the JMSDF.

This was Franchetti and Saito’s first meeting as heads of Navy.