At last year’s meeting, the two sides went as far as acknowledging an understanding of each other’s approaches to deterrence. This is the prerequisite, after which joint FDOs would give both nations a shared ladder of military and non-military options to deliver coordinated and more credible collective deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. The 2022 National Security Strategy of Japan and Defence of Japan 2023 reaffirmed Tokyo’s pursuit of a multilayered network with the United States and likeminded countries to strengthen deterrence. Joint FDOs and the establishment of a standing coordination mechanism are practical next steps. This is the partnership to watch as collective deterrence in the Indo-Pacific moves from aspiration to an operational coalition.