辺野古に陸自常駐計画　防衛省、１５年に一時検討

　防衛省内で２０１５年、米軍普天間飛行場（沖縄県宜野湾市）の移設先となる米軍キャンプ・シュワブ（名護市辺野古）に陸上自衛隊の水陸機動団を常駐させ、共同使用する計画が浮上していたことが分かった。政府内で検討されたが、「沖縄の負担が大きくなる」として見送った。関係者が２７日、明らかにした。
　水陸機動団は島しょ防衛を担うため１８年に創設され、「日本版海兵隊」とも称される。２個連隊が長崎県佐世保市の相浦駐屯地に配備されている。現行の中期防衛力整備計画では２３年度までに１個連隊の新設が決まっているが、配備先は未定だ。
　常駐計画は、当時の陸自トップである岩田清文陸上幕僚長とニコルソン米海兵隊司令官の間で立案された。日米の部隊による連携強化に加え、南西諸島周辺で海洋進出を強める中国を念頭に、抑止力を強化する狙いがあったとみられる。
　岸信夫防衛相は２７日の参院予算委員会で、常駐計画について、「現在考えていない」と答弁。防衛省幹部も「終わった話だ」と強調した。（2021/01/27-18:18）

Officials of Japan's Defense Ministry studied in 2015 a plan to permanently deploy an amphibious unit of the Ground Self-Defense Force at the U.S. Marine Corps' Camp Schwab in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa, it has been learned.
   The plan was considered within the Japanese government at the time, but it was dropped as "the burden on Okinawa would be large," informed sources said.
   The Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, dubbed the "Japanese Marines," was formed in 2018 to protect remote islands. Two regiments of the brigade are stationed at the GSDF's Camp Ainoura in the city of Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, southwestern Japan. The establishment of another regiment by fiscal 2023 has been decided under Japan's current medium-term defense buildup program, but its location has yet to be decided.
   The deployment plan at Camp Schwab, located in the Henoko coastal district in the city of Nago, was drawn up by then GSDF Chief of Staff Kiyofumi Iwata and Lawrence Nicholson, then commanding general of III Marine Expeditionary Force of the Marine Corps. In addition to boosting cooperation between the two allies' forces, the plan was apparently aimed at strengthening deterrence against China's increasing maritime activities around the Nansei southwestern islands in Japan.
   Japan is currently not considering the plan, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said Wednesday at a meeting of the Budget Committee of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the country's parliament. A senior Defense Ministry official also said that the decision not to adopt the plan was "a done deal."