US & Japan to establish unified command for enhanced military coordination

The United States will create a unified command within the existing US Forces Japan to enhance coordination with Japan's Self-Defense Forces.

The countries are expected to launch a working group to finalize the details at a "two-plus-two" defense and foreign ministers meeting in Tokyo on Sunday, with the initiative to be outlined in a joint statement, Caliber.Az report, citing a foreign media outlet.

This move marks one of the most significant upgrades to the Japan-based forces since the post-World War II era, aiming to improve the coordination of both countries' forces to respond more effectively to potential crises in the region, such as in the Taiwan Strait or issues related to North Korea.

The US unified command will serve as a counterpart to Japan's new permanent joint headquarters, which will oversee all three branches of the Self-Defense Forces. This headquarters is set to launch at the end of fiscal 2024 with approximately 240 personnel.

Japan had been advocating for the US to establish a unified command in Japan to improve coordination between the two nations.

The US has roughly 55,000 army, navy, air force, and marine personnel stationed in Japan. While the US Forces Japan, headquartered at Yokota Air Base in Tokyo, is the umbrella organization for all American forces in Japan, it currently lacks operational command authority. Such authority is held by the Indo-Pacific Command based in Hawaii.

The decision to establish a unified command within the US Forces Japan, granting it operational control over forces in Japan, comes amid a deteriorating security environment in Asia. The new US unified command is expected to be about the same size as its Japanese counterpart.

The creation of unified commands by both the US and Japan is anticipated to lead to smoother planning of joint exercises during peacetime and more coordinated joint missions during conflicts. The US military and the Self-Defense Forces will maintain separate chains of command.

In addition to establishing the unified command, the countries are also expected to agree on cyber defense cooperation during the two-plus-two meeting. With Japan set to begin activities aimed at preventing cyberattacks before they occur, Tokyo and Washington hope to collaborate more closely to protect infrastructure and other assets.

Regarding defense equipment, both sides intend to expand cooperation on drones. They are also set to agree on joint production and increased production capacity for Patriot surface-to-air missile systems and the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) for F-35 fighter jets.