March 30, 2025 (EIRNS)—U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in meeting with Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani in Tokyo on March 30, stated that Japan is an “indispensable partner” in deterring supposed Chinese assertiveness, and announced the upgrading of the U.S. military command in Japan to a new “war-fighting headquarters,” AP reported.
“Japan is our indispensable partner in deterring Communist Chinese military aggression,” Hegseth said. “The U.S. is moving fast, as you know, to reestablish deterrence in this region and around the world.” He added, “America is committed to sustaining robust, ready and credible deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, including across the Taiwan Strait,” reported Japan Today.
Hegseth’s talks with Minister Nakatani pivoted around two new military initiatives, both of which are intended to be deployed against and would increase tensions with China. First, Hegseth confirmed, Kyodo News reported, that the U.S. Defense Department has started “phase one” of upgrading U.S. Forces Japan to a joint force headquarters (an initiative actually begun under Biden), adding that the move will improve the ability to coordinate operations with a newly launched counterpart body in the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. USFJ will be reorganized to a “warfighting headquarters” with increased staff and authorities needed to accomplish new missions, he said.
The USFJ upgrade is being implemented in parallel with the standing up of a new Joint Operations Command in Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, which began a week ago according to Kyodo. The new SDF command is intended to help better integrate its own ground, maritime and air services, while ensuring smoother coordination with the U.S.
Second, AP reports, according to ABC News “The two sides agreed to accelerate plans to jointly develop and produce missiles such as Advanced Medium-Range Air to Air Missiles, or MRAAM, and consider producing SM-6 surface-to-air missiles, to help ease a shortage of munitions, Nakatani said. The ministers also agreed to speed up the process involving the maintenance of U.S. warships and warplanes in Japan to strengthen and complement Japanese and U.S. defense industries.”
Hegseth arrived on March 29 for a ceremony at Iwo Jima, Japan, now known as Iwo To, where U.S. and Japanese armed forces fought each other during World War II. There, Hegseth hailed the “shared warrior ethos” between the U.S. and Japan.