Dispatch of Japan Self-Defense Forces personnel to NSATU

Ministry of Defense of Japan

(Press Release)

May 29, 2026

Ministry of Defense Japan

1. The Ministry of Defense (MOD) and the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) have decided to dispatch four JSDF personnel to the headquarters of the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU), located in Germany.
2. This dispatch follows the offer conveyed in April last year by former Minister Nakatani to Secretary General Rutte of NATO, expressing Japan’s intention to proceed with arrangements for participation in NSATU. Coordination with the NATO side has now been finalized, which leads to this announcement.
3. This dispatch will contribute to strengthening Japan’s own defense capabilities by gaining the lessons-learned in Ukraine, including the “new-way of warfare.” It will also deepen Japan-NATO cooperation in the context of the inseparability of security between the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions.
4. MOD/JSDF will continue to advance security and defense cooperation between Japan and NATO.