Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2011 July 20 - 26 [SDF]

Defense chief uses disaster relief to beef up military readiness

The Defense Ministry is searching for ways to use private vessels in case of military emergencies, taking advantage of public support for disaster relief activities conducted by Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military in the 3/11 tsunami-hit areas.

Defense Minister Kitazawa Toshimi on July 17 in Mutsu City in Aomori Prefecture, said, “I want to have the government in position to charter private vessels because it is impractical for the SDF alone to always be equipped and ready for the greatest possible contingency.”

This remark was made in response to reporters’ questions about the SDF troops in Hokkaido on board U.S. warships heading for the disaster-hit areas.

Kitazawa said, “To enhance SDF transportation capability forms the basis of the ‘Dynamic Defense Force’ (mentioned in the National Defense Program Guideline).”

During the Pacific War, more than 10,000 commercial ships were requisitioned and brought into service, resulting in the deaths of 62,000 sailors. At the time of the Korean War, the U.S. forces in Japan used commercial ships to transport their troops and supplies to Korea.

In 2004, when the government moved to designate passenger liners as public institutions under contingency laws in order to use them again for military purposes, people in the maritime industry strongly opposed this move based on the deep remorse over the past tragedy.

A Defense document, “SDF’s deployment and operations in a massive natural disaster”, explains that Mageshima Island will be used to amass SDF troops from across Japan for disaster relief operations.

However, what the government really plans is to turn the island into a site for U.S. field carrier landing practice (FCLP) exercises. Under the plan, the SDF will be deployed only to assist the U.S. forces.

The joint relief efforts gave momentum to the integration of the command of the SDF and the U.S. forces in Japan.

In order to coordinate U.S. disaster relief operations codenamed “Operation Tomodachi” with the SDF’s relief operations, bilateral coordinating centers were established at four locations in Japan such as at the Defense Ministry and the U.S. Yokota base.

A joint document issued on June 21 following the Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee (two plus two) meeting boasts that the experience of bilateral coordinating centers “will serve as a model for future responses to contingencies of all kinds.”

The utilization of the SDF in natural disasters is inevitable as it is well equipped for rapid response. And, it is a matter of course for Japanese people to express their appreciation to the U.S. as one of the 161 countries giving support to disaster victims.

However, it is unacceptable to strengthen the Japan-U.S. military alliance by taking advantage of the positive public sentiment toward the military because of the SDF-USF disaster relief efforts.