US set to create unified command for its forces in Japan

The U.S. will create a unified command within the existing U.S. Forces Japan to enhance coordination with Japan's Self-Defense Forces, News.Az reports citing Nikkei.

The countries are expected to launch a working group to hash out the details at a "two-plus-two" defense and foreign ministers meeting in Tokyo on Sunday, with the move to be spelled out in a joint statement.

The move marks one of the biggest upgrades to the Japan-based forces in the post-World War II era, and seeks to enable the forces of both countries to coordinate better to respond to potential crises in the region, whether in the Taiwan Strait or related to North Korea.

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

Japan had been calling on the U.S. to create a unified command in Japan to improve coordination between the sides.

The U.S. has roughly 55,000 army, navy, air force and marine personnel stationed in Japan. Although the U.S. Forces Japan headquartered at Yokota Air Base in Tokyo is the umbrella organization for all American forces in Japan, it does not have operational command. Such authority is held by the Indo-Pacific Command based in Hawaii.

The decision to set up a unified command within the U.S. Forces Japan and give it operational control over forces in Japan comes amid a worsening security environment in Asia. The U.S. unified command is expected to be about the same size as its Japanese counterpart.

News.Az