NATO and Japan Have Many Reasons to Collaborate

On 5 May 2018, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson announced that the U.S. Navy will reactivate the Second Fleet to focus on a resurgent Russia and its expanding military presence in the maritime domain. At the same time, the expansion of China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) poses a threat in Pacific. Fortunately, the United States has solid alliances in both regions—the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Japan. This is an opportune time for NATO and Japan to increase their cooperation to help the United States and each other respond to global maritime threats.