The Japanese Ministry of Defense will establish a new office from April to strengthen Pacific regional defense capabilities, in the context of the increasingly complex security environment around the country. This information was announced by Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.
Next month, we will establish a new Pacific Defense Planning Office to conduct a comprehensive review of the structure of the Self-Defense Forces to protect the Pacific region, while promoting related initiatives in a unified and proactive direction," Mr. Koizumi said - The Japan Times reported.
According to the plan, this office will play a central role in assessing and adjusting the arrangement of forces of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) in the vast Pacific region, where Tokyo has long been assessed as having many strategic vulnerable points.
Japanese officials consider this a step to improve the ability to respond to emergencies, while strengthening coordination between forces on land, air and sea.
Speaking during a visit to Iwoto Island (formerly Iwo Jima), about 1,200km south of Tokyo, Mr. Koizumi emphasized that Japan's "rivals" are expanding and increasing activities in the airspace as well as the sea around the country. According to him, this makes strengthening the defense posture in the Pacific region a "urgent priority".
In the context of facing security challenges, Tokyo has promoted a strategy to strengthen defense capabilities, including raising the defense budget and expanding the role of the Self-Defense Forces.
The establishment of the Pacific Defense Planning Office is seen as part of an overall effort to restructure the defense system, towards more flexible combat capabilities in a vast space, stretching from the Southwest island chain to further regions in the Pacific.
In parallel with that, Japan continues to strengthen its security alliance with the US - a pillar in its defense policy. The two countries maintain close cooperation in deploying forces, sharing information and organizing joint training activities. The joint memorial service in Iwoto is also considered a symbol of the strong alliance relationship between the two countries, while emphasizing the commitment to coordination in maintaining regional stability.
Analysts believe that Tokyo's promotion of new steps in the defense sector shows that it is shifting to a more proactive approach to increasing security challenges. In which, the Pacific region - with its strategically important position - is placed at the center of defense calculations in the coming period.
