In an effort to counter China, the US and Japan plan to upgrade their security alliance to its highest level since 1960 when they signed a Mutual Defence Treaty.
Five people with knowledge of the situation have confirmed that President Joe Biden will announce plans for reshaping the US military command to Japan in order to improve operational planning and joint exercises between the two nations. The plan will be revealed when Biden receives Kishida in the White House on 10 April.
Allies are looking to strengthen their security ties in response to what they see as an increasing threat from China. This requires that their militaries work together and plan more smoothly, especially during a crisis like a conflict on Taiwan.
The US-Japan summit, which will be attended by Biden and Kishida, will take place just weeks after President Obama expressed his opposition to Nippon Steel’s acquisition of US Steel. The intervention was intended to increase union support ahead of the November elections, but it has weakened the otherwise strong alliance.
Japan increased its security capability over the last two years by spending more money on defence. Plans to purchase US Tomahawk missiles are also part of this increase. Next year, the Japanese military will also establish a “Joint Operations Command”, which will improve coordination between its Self-Defense Forces.
Co-ordination is hindered because US Forces Japan has not changed much since the US and Japanese militaries used to work less together, and had little command and controlling authority. Japan must deal with the US Indo-Pacific Command, located in Hawaii. Hawaii is 6,200km and 19 hours behind Tokyo.
“Japan’s new national policy on security is the most positive development in East Asia this century.” “Now that we have converged in our defence strategies, it is logical to improve our daily command and control,” said Philip Davidson who retired in 2021 as Indo-Pacific Commander.
Tokyo has been urging the US for years to give the USFJ three-star commander more operational authority. It said that closer coordination on the ground is needed.
The 2011 tsunami and earthquake were a catalyst for the US and Japanese to conduct a joint rescue mission. Ryoichi oriki, the then chief of Japan’s SDF Joint Staff, admitted that it was a successful operation, but it was not convenient to coordinate with the US Indo-Pacific Command, rather than his daily counterpart, the USFJ commander.
Tokyo claims that it is urgent to send a senior US officer to Japan, as the country takes on a greater regional defence role. Oriki: “It’s important from a deterrent standpoint to send a strong signal to China and North Korea that the US is strengthening the command structure in Japan.”
Biden’s administration is considering a model that involves creating a US military task force attached to the US Pacific Fleet. This would be one of the component command at Indopacom, Hawaii. The four-star fleet commander would spend more than he does now in Japan and have a stronger support system in Japan. Over time, the taskforce, which would include various parts of the US Military, would move to Japan.
Christopher Johnstone said that upgrading the US command was a “big move in building a credible bilateral military alliance”.
Johnstone, who is now with the CSIS think tank, said that co-locating these command would bring the US-Japan Alliance closer to the “fight tonight” mantra of the US alliance in South Korea – more responsive and credible when responding to regional threats. This would be a major deterrent in the region.
James Schoff, an expert on the US-Japan Alliance at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA said that the two allies must clarify and strengthen their leadership and operational relationship for planning, both in peacetime and during times of crisis.
Schoff said that the US leadership could ‘commute from Hawaii to Japan’ for such a mission in peacetime. But they will need a full-time staff in Japan who can plan, facilitate and build trust between Japanese counterparts in order to carry out logical bilateral missions.
Other models, such as the USFJ being upgraded, could be considered by those familiar with the situation. Pentagon has not yet made a decision on the Indopacom commander Admiral John Aquilino’s idea of a task force. Lloyd Austin, the Defence Secretary, wants to allow Admiral Samuel Paparo to have a say after taking over Aquilino’s role in May.
Later this year, the US and Japanese Foreign and Defence Ministers will also discuss the topic together.
The White House and Indo-Pacom have declined to make any comments. The Japanese government did not make any comment either.
The choice of a model will be difficult due to questions regarding resources, infrastructure and military hierarchy. It is likely that there will be turf wars between the various services of the US military.
Tokyo has been pressing for the deployment of a US commander with four stars in Japan. The idea is not popular, even on Capitol Hill. Jack Reed, Democratic chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told the Defense Writers Group recently that Aquilino did a “superb job” in his contacts with the Japanese, and that the existing structure was “adequate”.
Reed replied: “Maybe one day, but for now, I believe we have a command structure that is effective enough to respond.”