U.S. Ambassador to Japan Emanuel Says U.S. Forces in Japan to Establish ‘Operational Component’ that Have Authority in Military Planning

The Yomiuri Shimbun

6:00 JST, July 29, 2024

The U.S. government has been working to reorganize its forces in Japan and establish an “operational component” that will have significant authority in coordinating military planning and exercises, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said in an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun.

The component will have “command and control operational capacity,” Emanuel said in the interview held Friday in Tokyo.

The interview was held ahead of the Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee meeting, also known as two-plus-two security talks, which comprised foreign and defense chiefs and was to be held on Sunday in Tokyo.

Japan’s Defense Ministry has decided to establish a Joint Operations Command to direct the Self-Defense Forces’ ground, maritime and air branches in an integrated manner. In light of the move, the government was to review the command and control framework with the U.S. forces during Sunday’s meeting.

Referring to Japan’s plan, Emanuel stressed that there is a certain advantage in having a U.S. component started around the same time, saying, “They’re maturing, growing and learning simultaneously from each other.”

The ambassador also stressed that the U.S. forces in Japan have been managing the alliance of the two nations, but the establishment of an operational component would bring “a whole different level” to the way the U.S. forces interact with the SDF, bringing a higher level of credibility to deterrence.

According to a U.S. government official, the review of the command and control framework will likely include a proposal to create a joint task force of the U.S. Navy, Air Force, Marines and Army in a bid to strengthen the command and control functions of the U.S. forces in Japan. The operational component mentioned during the interview is believed to refer to the joint task force.