December 11, 2022

It was revealed that the government is planning to incorporate the possession of counterforce capability and the introduction of an "Integrated Air and Missile Defense" (IAMD) system into the three key national security documents which will be revised by the end of this year.

Akahata on December 11 reported that Japan's Self-Defense Forces may use U.S.-made missiles to attack enemy bases under U.S. military command.

The IAMD system is an air-defense network the U.S. military is building on a global scale with the threat of Chinese and Russian missiles in mind. According to the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff doctrine, the system is aimed at a global strike capable of destroying any target, including enemy missile bases, runways, and command/control centers, with the use of long-range precision guided weapons.

Accurate information is necessary to identify a target when an enemy-base strike is carried out. Depending on information provided by the U.S. military, Japan will launch assaults, in effect, under the direction of the U.S. military.

The Liberal Democratic and Komei parties admit to the possibility that Japan may engage in an enemy strike as part of the exercise of its right to collective self-defense. This is not just the matter of legislation. The introduction of the IAMD system will make Japan come under the U.S. operational control.