米軍艦艇の日本での修理協議か　国防総省高官の訪問で

　【ワシントン時事】米国防総省は２１日、ローマン国防次官補（持続性担当）らが日本を含むインド太平洋地域を訪問し、各政府高官と防衛装備品の整備や修理などのネットワーク構築を協議したと発表した。米国では台湾有事を念頭に、艦艇の修理を日本などで行う案が浮上しており、今回の訪問でも議題になったとみられる。
　発表によると、今回の訪問団には米軍の統合参謀本部や各司令部の兵たん責任者らも参加。今月１０～２０日に日本とオーストラリア、フィリピンを訪れた。
　同省は声明で「会談では同盟国との関係を強化し、維持能力を高め、防衛産業基盤の回復力強化を中心に協議した」と説明。「整備・修理能力のネットワークを構築することも話し合った」と述べた。（2024/03/22-14:04）

The U.S. Department of Defense said Thursday that a delegation led by a senior Pentagon official has visited the Indo-Pacific region to discuss the establishment of a network for maintenance and repairs of defense equipment with senior government officials from Japan and other countries in the region.
   In preparation for a possible contingency in Taiwan, the delegation may have discussed an idea, recently emerged in the United States, to repair U.S. naval vessels in Japan and other countries, people familiar with the matter said.
   According to a statement released by the department, Christopher Lowman, assistant secretary of defense for sustainment, and Lt. Gen. Leo Kosinski, joint staff director for logistics, led the delegation of senior logisticians from each U.S. Military Service headquarters and other organizations. They visited Japan, Australia and the Philippines from March 10 to Wednesday.
   "Focusing on opportunities to strengthen ties with allies and partners, increase sustainment capacity and further build defense industrial base resilience, the delegation met with U.S. military and national government representatives from Australia, Japan, and the Philippines," the statement said.
   "Lowman and delegation members stressed the importance of increasing regional capacity for the sustainment of coalition forces in the region, to include establishing a network of regionally aligned maintenance, repair and overhaul capabilities in coordination with national and U.S. commercial industry partners," it said.