US and Japan to revamp joint military operations to counter China and North Korea
- American and Japanese defence ministers also reaffirm commitment to fast-track Tokyo’s acquisition of Tomahawk missiles
The revamp is one of the main results of the “2+2” security talks attended by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and their Japanese counterparts, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defence Minister Minoru Kihara.
In a joint statement issued after the talks on Sunday, the two countries said the US “intends to reconstitute US Forces Japan (USFJ) as a joint force headquarters reporting to the Commander of US Indo-Pacific Command”, to facilitate interoperability and cooperation on joint operations “in peacetime and during contingencies”.
The reconstituted USFJ is intended to serve as an important counterpart to the Japanese Self-Defence Forces’ joint operation headquarters, which will be launched by March to unify the command of Japan’s ground, maritime and air services, it said.
But the new joint command will be headed by a three-star general, not a four-star general as Japan had requested, according to a Reuters report quoting US official sources.
Japan hosts more than 50,000 US troops who follow the command of the Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii. The plan to upgrade USFJ’s command and control capability is intended to smooth joint exercises and operations, officials say.