The United States is poised to enhance its operational framework in Japan by granting command authority to its forces, facilitating better cooperation with Japan’s Self-Defense Forces. According to government sources, this significant change will be presented at a meeting between Japanese and U.S. foreign and defense ministers set for July 28 in Tokyo.
In a parallel effort, the SDF is working to establish a joint operations command that integrates its ground, maritime, and air branches by the forthcoming spring. The revamped U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) will be aligned with this new command structure, enabling more effective operational planning and troop collaborations.
Presently, the USFJ functions under the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, which is based in Hawaii and oversees a broad area, thereby complicating direct coordination with the SDF. Unlike its prior role focused mainly on base and troop management, the upcoming changes aim to empower the USFJ with operational authority.
The agreement to strengthen command-and-control mechanisms was reached between Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden in April. As these initiatives unfold, U.S. military capabilities currently surpass those of the SDF in terms of intelligence and equipment. Experts have predicted that Japan's principal challenge lies in preserving its operational command autonomy amid closer ties with the U.S. military's command-and-control strategies.
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