Special Correspondent of Our Newspaper Chen Yang, Staff Reporter Ma Jun
Japan and the United States have been making continuous moves in terms of military integration recently. Following the formal establishment of the "Joint Operations Command Center" by the Japanese Ministry of Defense on March 24 to coordinate with the US forces stationed in Japan and unify the command of the Japanese Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces, the Sankei Shimbun reported on June 6 that during last year's February "Cutting Edge 2024" joint exercise, for the first time, it simulated a conflict in the Taiwan Strait and practiced "engaging the Chinese People's Liberation Army" under the command of the commander of the Joint Operations Command Center.
F-2 fighter jets equipped with ASM-3 anti-ship missiles made in Japan
On-site at the US-Japan "Cutting Edge 2024" joint exercise
"Launch missiles at the Chinese landing fleet"
According to Japanese media reports, during the "Cutting Edge 2024" joint command post exercise held in February last year, the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the US military conducted computer-based wargames with the background of a "Taiwan Strait conflict." The exercise outline disclosed on June 6 showed that "the Japan-US forces launched missile attacks on Chinese naval vessels." The Liberty Times of Taiwan reported on June 6 that this was the first time that "Taiwan-related incidents" were simulated in a US-Japan joint exercise, and "the results of the exercise will be reflected in future US-Japan joint operational plans, which are guidelines for actions by the Self-Defense Forces and US forces in emergency situations."
The Sankei Shimbun reported that the "Cutting Edge 2024" joint exercise envisaged conducting drills under the unified command of the commander of the Joint Operations Command Center over the land, sea, and air self-defense forces, showing that the Japanese Ministry of Defense had been preparing for the official establishment of the Joint Operations Command Center in March this year.
Japanese constitutional restrictions clearly limit the military operations of the Self-Defense Forces, preventing Japan from deploying them arbitrarily. The Liberty Times reported that this exercise was intentionally conducted by Japan to test how to exercise collective self-defense rights when encountering what is termed a "survival crisis situation." A "survival crisis situation," as defined in 2015 when Japan passed its security legislation, refers to situations where Japan itself has not been directly attacked but an ally such as the US is under armed attack. If certain conditions are met, Japan can exercise some collective self-defense rights.
The Sankei Shimbun reported that in this exercise, the "situation in Taiwan" was considered a "threat to Japan's survival," thus establishing the conditions for Japan to use force based on collective self-defense rights. Subsequently, the US requested to "attack the Chinese People's Liberation Army landing fleet passing through the Taiwan Strait," and the Japanese side accepted the request, dispatching fighter jets from the Air Self-Defense Force to launch anti-ship missiles, striking the PLA transport ships. The report also mentioned that there were opinions within the Self-Defense Forces suggesting that priority should be given to attacking the Chinese aircraft carrier rather than the landing fleet. However, the exercise assessment determined that the threat level of the current Chinese aircraft carriers was relatively low, so they were not listed as priority targets.
It is worth noting that China has repeatedly refuted Japan's claim that "what happens in Taiwan concerns Japan." During his visit to Japan in March, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with several Japanese political figures about the Taiwan issue, emphasizing that the four political documents between China and Japan clearly define the Taiwan issue, which must be strictly adhered to without ambiguity or retreat. On March 24, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun also emphasized that the fallacy that "what happens in Taiwan concerns Japan" and that "the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement lacks legal binding force" would severely erode the political foundation of Sino-Japanese relations, not only being greatly mistaken but also very dangerous. China urged Japan to honor its commitments and handle the Taiwan issue cautiously, maintaining the momentum of improving and developing Sino-Japanese relations through concrete actions.
The Mysterious US-Japan "Cutting Edge 2024" Joint Exercise
The reason why the details of the "Cutting Edge 2024" joint exercise, which took place more than a year ago, are being revisited now is due to the previous commotion caused by the exercise.
On February 1, the US Indo-Pacific Command announced the start of the "Cutting Edge 2024" joint exercise. The US military press release stated that the "Cutting Edge 2024" joint exercise computer simulation aimed to "practice responses in crises or emergencies." The US-Japan "Cutting Edge" series of command post exercises and the "Sword Blade" series of field training exercises alternate, and the notable difference this time is that Australia participated in the "Cutting Edge 2024" exercise for the first time. The exercise locations included the US Forces Japan headquarters in Tokyo and the Japanese Ministry of Defense, as well as the Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii.
At that time, the Stars and Stripes reported that this exercise was more closely linked with the US Space Command and Cyber Command than previous similar exercises. However, it did not provide the number of troops involved or detailed information about the exercise scenario. The Pentagon spokesperson, when interviewed by the media, said, "We do not discuss specific exercise scenarios," only stating that the "Cutting Edge 2024" provided a realistic training environment for the US, Japan, and Australia to respond to various crises and emergencies.
The Kyodo News Agency at the time cited unnamed sources saying that the exercise theme revolved around an "emergency situation" in the Taiwan Strait. Unlike previous exercises that used vague maps and code names to refer to hypothetical enemies, this exercise used real maps and directly labeled the hypothetical enemy as China for the first time.
The Japan Times provided a more detailed introduction at that time. The report stated that Japan and the US have multiple joint operation plans for emergencies, and a draft plan regarding the so-called "Taiwan incident" was completed at the end of 2023. The results of the "Cutting Edge" exercise will also be reflected in the draft. The final version is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024 and will be practically exercised in the "Sword Blade" exercise in 2025 to verify the effectiveness of the operational plan. The report also mentioned that to avoid leaks causing backlash, the maps used in past exercises by Japan and the US differed slightly from the actual terrain of the countries, while this exercise used real maps.
After the reports about "Japan-US exercises designating China as the hypothetical enemy" caused public controversy, the Chinese Embassy in Japan immediately expressed serious concern to the Japanese side and clarified its position sternly. The Japanese side then clarified to China, stating that "the relevant reports are not true."
Continuous Steps in US-Japan Military Integration
It is noteworthy that in recent years, Japan and the US have been accelerating their steps in military integration and continuously enhancing equipment interoperability.
A military expert interviewed by the Global Times said that apart from integrating in command structures, the US and Japan have also been active in terms of weapons equipment. Japan's offensive military equipment was previously restricted by the US, but in recent years, the US has been gradually loosening these restrictions, strengthening Japan's long-range attack capabilities. For instance, the Sankei Shimbun mentioned that during the exercise, the Air Self-Defense Force simulated launching anti-ship missiles at the Chinese landing fleet. In reality, the mainstay F-15J fighters of the Air Self-Defense Force had their ground and sea precision strike capabilities compromised, so they could only rely on domestically produced F-2 fighters for anti-ship missions, equipped with Japan's independently developed ASM-2 and ASM-3 anti-ship missiles. However, in recent years, the US has approved comprehensive upgrades for Japan's F-15J fighters and allowed the sale of advanced long-range weapons. Additionally, the US approved the provision of 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles to Japan and offered testing facilities for Japan's high-speed missiles. These moves will significantly enhance Japan's offensive capabilities.
The Air Self-Defense Force of Japan announced on April 4 that the 303rd squadron of the 6th Air Group under the Central Air Division recently received its first three F-35A stealth fighters, marking the third unit of the Air Self-Defense Force to begin replacing these advanced stealth fighters. Japan has already ordered 147 F-35 fighters, including 105 F-35As and 42 F-35Bs.
Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7491108977955308059/
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