6 Most Reliable American Allies

3. Japan

Another nation we don’t exactly have the best history with, but can now call a reliable ally is Japan. As the world’s third-largest economy, Japan is America’s richest ally and has used some of its wealth to purchase Mageshima Island in the East China Sea from a private seller. In an effort to bolster the shield that protects the area from Chinese aggression and expansionism, the Japanese have also invested in constructing military-grade runways for both Japanese and US warplanes to use as a base of operations in the region.

Japan’s growing importance to Indo-Pacific security can not be understated as they have also increased their defense spending nine years in a row and is currently expanding its suite of missile defenses with the US and Japan co-developing the SM-3 Block 2A interceptor missile and hosting two powerful AN/TPY-2 missile-defense radars that network with other U.S. missile defense assets.

They have further committed themselves to help the US (and other international partners) police the South and East China Seas by expanding its naval activity in the region by conducting joint patrols with the U.S. Navy. Much of this modern cooperation is largely thanks to the recently assassinated former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, who helped lay the foundation of the Quad security partnership with the US, Australia, and India.