Japan activated its Japan Self-Defense Force Joint Operations Command (JJOC) Monday, allowing its military to better conduct integrated and joint operations.
Japan outlined the intention to establish the JJOC in its Defense Buildup Program (DBP), one of three national security and defense documents issued in December 2022.
“A Permanent Joint Headquarters will be established in order to build a system capable of seamlessly conducting cross-domain operations at all stages from peacetime to contingency, with the aim of strengthening the effectiveness of joint operations among each SDF services,” reads an entry in the DBP.
Prior to establishing the JJOC, the Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) relied on an ad-hoc command to oversee specific operations that reported to the Joint Staff Office (JSO) with the chief of the Joint Staff –the Japanese equivalent of the U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — having to oversee operations while also advising and updating the Japan defense minister and prime minister.
The JOC will now take on the role of organizing and commanding JSDF responses to any crisis, contingencies and natural disasters. The commander of the JJOC is Lt. Gen. Kenichiro Nagumo from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) with currently 240 personnel assigned to the JJOC, which is based at the Defense Ministry in Ichigaya, Tokyo.
The JJOC was expected to work closely with a new U.S. military joint command based in Japan. However, a Pentagon briefing document lists the cancellation of the restructuring of U.S. Forces Japan as a cost-saving proposal, according to CNN.
On Wednesday, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, issued a joint statement with their concerns on planned changes to the U.S. military’s command structures.
“U.S. combatant commands are the tip of the American warfighting spear. Therefore, we are very concerned about reports that claim DoD is considering unilateral changes on major strategic issues, including significant reductions to U.S. forces stationed abroad, absent coordination with the White House and Congress,” reads the statement. “As such, we will not accept significant changes to our warfighting structure that are made without a rigorous interagency process, coordination with combatant commanders and the Joint Staff, and collaboration with Congress.”
On Friday, in his regularly scheduled press conference, Japan Defense Minister Gen Nakatani declined to comment on the reports, and instead said that with the security environment around Japan becoming more severe, the importance of the U.S. – Japan alliance has increased and it was necessary to continue efforts to strengthen the response and deterrence capabilities of the alliance.
Both countries confirmed their intention to further strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the U.S.–Japan alliance through the improvement of the command and control frameworks of the JSDF and the U.S. military at the U.S.–Japan summit in February. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Nakatani confirmed the intention to improve the command and control framework in a Jan. 31 phone call. “Japan and the U.S. are currently discussing the improvement of the command and control framework in light of this. We will continue to communicate closely with the U.S. side,” Nakatani said.
The JSO issued two Friday releases on the activities of PLAN ships around Japan. At 11 p.m. on March 16, PLAN destroyer CNS Changchun (150) was sighted sailing southeast in an area 49 miles northwest of Uotsuri Island. From March 16-17, the PLAN destroyer sailed south in an area 43 miles west of Uotsuri Island and before sailing south in the waters between Yonaguni Island and Taiwan
At 11 p.m. March 17, PLAN frigate CNS Binzhou (515) was sighted sailing south in an area 49 miles west of Uotsuri Island, and, on March 17 -18, it sailed south in the waters between Yonaguni Island and Taiwan. On Thursday, both PLAN ships were sighted at noon sailing northwest in the waters between Miyako Island and Okinawa to enter the East China Sea.
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) destroyer JS Akizuki (DD-115), destroyer escort JS Sendai (DE-232), JMSDF P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) of Fleet Air Wing 1, based at JMSDF Kanoya Air Base on the main island of Kyushu, and JMSDF P-3C Orion MPA of Fleet Air Wing 5, based at Naha Air Base, Okinawa, shadowed the PLAN ships, according to the release.
Around 9 a.m. Friday, Dongdiao class surveillance ship Yuhengxing (798) was sighted sailing east in an area 43 miles southwest of Kuchinoerabu Island and subsequently sailed east through the Osumi Strait, which lies between the main island of Kyushu and the island of Tanegashima, to enter the Pacific Ocean. JMSDF destroyer JS Ikazuchi (DD-107) shadowed the PLAN ship, according to the release.
