US Defense Secretary Pete Hegsett called Japan an "indispensable partner" in deterring Chinese influence in the region during a visit today and announced the upgrade of the US military command in Japan to a new "war headquarters".
Hegseth, on his first trip to Asia, also stressed the need for the two countries to do more to strengthen military capabilities as the region faces assertive military actions by China and a potential crisis with Taiwan.
"Japan is our indispensable partner in deterring Chinese military aggression," Hegseth said during talks with Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani in Tokyo.
Hegseth announced an upgrade of the command of US forces in Japan, establishing a single operational commander to function as a joint force headquarters that would link with its Japanese counterpart and serve as a "war headquarters."
Hegseth and Nakatani said they also agreed on the need to strengthen Japan's defensive posture in the southwestern islands, which are located in critical locations along disputed areas in the East China Sea and near Taiwan to further strengthen deterrence against China.
Hegseth stressed the need for "sustainable and credible deterrence" in the Indo-Pacific, including across the Taiwan Strait, because "Japan would be on the front lines of any contingency we might face in the Western Pacific."
The two sides also agreed to accelerate plans for the joint development and production of missiles such as the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile, or MRAAM, and to consider production of SM-6 surface-to-air missiles, to reduce ammunition shortages, Nakatani said today.
Japan and the United States decided in July to upgrade command of the Japanese military as well as US forces in the country, a major structural change aimed at strengthening joint operational and response capabilities. More than 50.000 US troops are stationed in Japan.
Tokyo last week launched the Japan Joint Operations Command, or JJOC, whose mission is to coordinate Japan's ground, naval and air self-defense forces, in a significant move to further strengthen contingency response capabilities and better cooperate with the United States.
On Saturday, the first day of his visit, Hegseth joined a joint US-Japanese commemoration to honor those killed in the Battle of Iwo Jima, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of one of the fiercest battles of World War II, praising the strong alliance between the former enemies.
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