Tag: US-Japan Alliance

US to change Japan command posture to boost deterrence in face China -US envoy

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

US to change Japan command posture to boost deterrence in face China -US envoy

Sources with knowledge of the planning have told Reuters Washington will consider appointing a four-star commander for Japan to match the rank of the head of Japan’s new military headquarters. Experts say a U.S. officer of that rank could lay the groundwork for a future unified Japanese-U.S. command.

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A Vital Next Step for the U.S.-Japan Alliance: Command and Control Modernization

Reimagining U.S. Forces Japan

The current structure of alliance command and control is not sufficient for the task. U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) has changed little since the 1960s, when Japan was viewed as little more than a platform for U.S. military operations across the region. USFJ’s authorities and staffing are limited primarily to administering alliance agreements related to the 50,000-plus U.S. personnel stationed in Japan with the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Army. U.S. forces in Japan represent some of the most important U.S. military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific, but the three-star USFJ commander has limited joint operational authorities, and the separate U.S. service elements in Japan report back to their component headquarters in Hawaii.

1,600 people march through Naha protesting Japan’s defense buildup in Okinawa

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)1 Comment

A thousand-plus people joined a demonstration in Okinawa’s prefectural capital on Feb. 26 to protest the Japanese government’s plans to build up its defense capabilities on a group of islands in the country’s south for a possible contingency in Taiwan.

1,600 people march through Naha protesting Japan’s defense buildup in Okinawa

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U.S., Japan, South Korea Hold Ballistic Missile Defense Drills after North Korean Launches

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Japan intensifies hard-line stance on islands “illegally occupied” by Russia

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Japan intensifies hard-line stance on islands “illegally occupied” by Russia

On relations with the United States, it said the Japan-U.S. alliance has become “stronger than ever before in history,” as the two nations held eight summit and 15 foreign ministerial talks by the end of February after the launch of U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration in 2021.