February 11, 2025
Japanese Communist Party lawmaker Tamura Takaaki on February 10 pointed out that the government is planning to deploy F-35 stealth fighter jets to Australia with the aim of expanding the scope of Japan’s use of the collective self-defense right, which was made possible under the national security-related legislation (war laws), to other U.S. allies as well as the United States.
The Japanese and Australian governments at the 10th Japan-Australia 2+2 Foreign and Defense Ministerial Consultations in December 2022 confirmed an agreement based on the operational concept under Japan’s National Defense Strategy which is one of the three key national security documents. The agreement states that the two countries will “accelerate the consideration of maneuver deployment training of Japan’s F-35s with an eye to future rotational deployment of Japan’s fighters including deploying F-35s to Australia.”
Tamura at a meeting of the House of Representatives Budget Committee asked, “Did Japan agree on the ‘deployment’?”
Defense Minister Nakatani Gen replied that the agreement envisages “the periodic deployment of the fighter jets for training.”
In line with this agreement, an F-35A unit of the Air Self-Defense Force was dispatched for joint training at Tyndall Air Force Base in northern Australia in August 2023. At this base, the U.S. military is constructing a parking apron to deploy six B-52 strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons. According to U.S. military budget documents, the purpose of the tarmac construction for B-52s is “to support aircraft participating in training exercises” to “deter China.”
Tamura asked if the joint drills had taken place with a view to exercising the right of collective self-defense in the event of an armed attack against Australia and having the ASDF engage in the counterattack.
Nakatani answered, “The drills were not conducted with a specific country or region in mind,” but did not deny the possibility of Japan’s use of the collective self-defense right.
In fact, the ASDF F-35A unit already has a “sister squadron” relationship with the F-35A unit belonging to the Tyndall base.
Tamura warned, “The risk of the ASDF being embroiled in a war of counterattack launched by U.S. and Australian forces will increase.”
The Japanese and Australian governments at the 10th Japan-Australia 2+2 Foreign and Defense Ministerial Consultations in December 2022 confirmed an agreement based on the operational concept under Japan’s National Defense Strategy which is one of the three key national security documents. The agreement states that the two countries will “accelerate the consideration of maneuver deployment training of Japan’s F-35s with an eye to future rotational deployment of Japan’s fighters including deploying F-35s to Australia.”
Tamura at a meeting of the House of Representatives Budget Committee asked, “Did Japan agree on the ‘deployment’?”
Defense Minister Nakatani Gen replied that the agreement envisages “the periodic deployment of the fighter jets for training.”
In line with this agreement, an F-35A unit of the Air Self-Defense Force was dispatched for joint training at Tyndall Air Force Base in northern Australia in August 2023. At this base, the U.S. military is constructing a parking apron to deploy six B-52 strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons. According to U.S. military budget documents, the purpose of the tarmac construction for B-52s is “to support aircraft participating in training exercises” to “deter China.”
Tamura asked if the joint drills had taken place with a view to exercising the right of collective self-defense in the event of an armed attack against Australia and having the ASDF engage in the counterattack.
Nakatani answered, “The drills were not conducted with a specific country or region in mind,” but did not deny the possibility of Japan’s use of the collective self-defense right.
In fact, the ASDF F-35A unit already has a “sister squadron” relationship with the F-35A unit belonging to the Tyndall base.
Tamura warned, “The risk of the ASDF being embroiled in a war of counterattack launched by U.S. and Australian forces will increase.”
