日米司令部、早期に連携確立　木原防衛相とオースティン国防長官が一致

　木原稔防衛相は２９日、米国のオースティン国防長官と防衛省で会談した。来春創設する自衛隊の「統合作戦司令部」と、在日米軍司令部を再編する「統合軍司令部」の連携を早期に確立させるため、作業部会での協議を加速させることで一致した。
　米側は２８日の日米安全保障協議委員会（２プラス２）で、米軍と自衛隊の指揮統制の連携強化を図るため、在日米軍司令部の機能を強化して統合軍司令部とする方針を表明。オースティン氏は２９日の会談で、司令部にどの程度の権限を与えるかなど現在の検討状況を説明した。会談後、木原氏は記者団に「同盟の現代化を進める上での重要課題だ」と歓迎した。（2024/07/29-18:06）

The Japanese and U.S. defense chiefs agreed in Tokyo on Monday to accelerate working group talks to establish cooperative ties between proposed commands for the two allies' forces at an early date.
   Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also affirmed cooperation in effectively managing counterattack capabilities of Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. forces in the East Asian country, strengthening the defense system on the Nansei Islands, southwestern Japan, and promoting joint exercises.
   Kihara and Austin had their talks at the Defense Ministry after Japan and the United States held a "two-plus-two" meeting of their foreign and defense heads in the Japanese capital on Sunday. At the meeting, the U.S. side said the U.S. Forces Japan will be upgraded to a joint forces headquarters for better communication with the SDF's joint operations command to be set up next spring.
   Austin told Kihara that Washington is discussing to what extent the headquarters will be empowered.