"Japan Self-Defense Forces Joint Operations Command to Launch on March 24"

Approximately 240 Personnel
To Be Established in Ichigaya, Tokyo

The Integrated Operations Command, which will unify the command of Japan's Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces, is being coordinated to be launched on March 24, according to a report by Sankei Shimbun on the 26th.

On the 15th, South Korea, the United States, and Japan conducted a joint aerial exercise over international waters near the Korean Peninsula, with the deployment of a U.S. B-1B strategic bomber. The photo shows two Republic of Korea Air Force F-15K fighters, two Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2 fighters, and two U.S. B-1B Lancer bombers participating in the exercise. Photo by Yonhap News.

Currently, the Joint Staff Office, which integrates the operation of the Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces, also serves as an advisory function to the Minister of Defense, but there have been criticisms that its unit command function is insufficient, leading to the promotion of establishing the Integrated Operations Command.

The Integrated Operations Command will be launched with about 240 personnel under the command of a commander and is planned to be located in Ichigaya, Tokyo, where the Ministry of Defense is situated.

After its launch, the Integrated Operations Commander will have unified command over all units, including the Cyber Defense Unit and the Space Operations Group, while the Chief of the Joint Staff will focus exclusively on assisting the Minister of Defense.

This measure is also a supplementary plan following the agreement made during the summit between then U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in April last year to improve the command and control system between the U.S. military and the Self-Defense Forces to enhance interoperability in both peacetime and emergencies.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.