Jointness in the Japanese self-defense forces

Joint Force Quarterly, Winter, 2000 by Fumio Ota

Fifth, the benefits of joint professional military education are becoming apparent. It began for senior officers in the early 1950s. The National Institute for Defense Studies, an organization of equivalent standing to the National Defense University in Washington, has educated both military and civilian students from other agencies since 1953. The Joint Staff College was opened in 1961 for graduates of the Japan Defense University, who are now key players in their services and on the joint staff council with the retirement of officers with exclusive army or navy backgrounds.

Future Challenges

Despite major advances in jointness, unresolved issues remain. The Japanese coast guard, with 517 ships and 70 aircraft, is not integrated into the armed forces. Although the Coast Guard in the United States maintains a close relationship with the Navy, there is no compatibility between counterparts in Japan. Disparities involve communication equipment, weapons, ammunition, and training. But this stovepipe situation is changing. The two services recently began to conduct joint exercises. The MSDF destroyer Amagiri participated in a review of coast guard ships for the first time in April 2000.

Another issue is combined operations. Japan and the United States have been conducting exercises since their alliance began. Each service normally conducts various exercises with their opposite number. But a single service rarely trains with multiple services from another country. Combined cross-service exercises must be developed.

For instance, GSDF and its American counterparts, the Army and Marine Corps, have collaborated since the 1980s. MSDF has drilled with the Navy since the 1950s. ASDF has held combined exercises with the Air Force since the 1970s. But MSDF did not exercise with the Air Force except for large-scale joint and combined workouts until 1995. In that year an MSDF escort division conducted a cross-service drill with U.S. aircraft from 35th Operational Group on two occasions. MSDF exercised antiair warfare and air control while the Air Force conducted ship attacks. Japanese participants gained significant experience and Americans had a unique opportunity to sharpen cross-service skills.

Combined exercises resulted from a friendship between the commanders of 35th Operations Group and the MSDF escort division that had begun when they were members of the same seminar at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in early 1990s. That bond has opened the door for future training opportunities and illustrates the value of international military educational programs. But the experience also indicates that exercises are too important to be left to personal relationships. They must be an integral part of a bilateral program.

The International Dimension

Combined exercises benefit both Japan and the United States. For MSDF, it is a chance to hold simultaneous omnidirectional/multi-threat, anti-air warfare exercises in an electronic warfare environment with experienced U.S. pilots. In addition, such events offer opportunities to improve interoperability in communication and information exchange. For the U.S. military, interoperability is key to cementing relationships with allies and friends. Training is important to creating trust and confidence. This is strong evidence that more joint and combined training is needed.