On April 14, State Minister of Defense Ino received a courtesy call from Director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, Admiral James F. Caldwell. State Minister welcomed his visit and they exchanged views on Japan-U.S. defense cooperation and confirmed the importance of close ties for further strengthening Japan-U.S. Alliance. Admiral Caldwell is responsible for the propulsion system of the U.S. nuclear-powered naval ships and submarines and manages the entire process from design to disposal of the system.