日米指揮連携の方針不変　中谷防衛相、強化計画中止報道で

　中谷元防衛相は２１日の記者会見で、トランプ米政権が在日米軍を強化する計画の中止を検討しているとの米メディア報道に関し、自衛隊と米軍の指揮統制連携の向上に取り組む方針に変更はないとする立場を示した。日米当局間で引き続き調整を進める意向も示した。
　日米両政府はバイデン政権下の昨年、在日米軍司令部に部隊運用権限を付与して「統合軍司令部」に格上げし、陸海空３自衛隊を一元指揮する「統合作戦司令部」のカウンターパートとすることで合意した。（2025/03/21-11:25）

Japan's Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said Friday no change has been made to the Japan-U.S. policy of improving cooperation in military command and control.
   Nakatani's remarks at a press conference followed U.S. media reports that Pentagon is considering canceling plans to expand U.S. Forces Japan.
   Tokyo and Washington agreed last year to convert the U.S. forces stationed in Japan into a joint force headquarters empowered to operate troops to make it the U.S. counterpart of the soon-to-be-launched joint operations command of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.
   "As the significance of the Japan-U.S. alliance grows further, it is required to keep strengthening deterrence and response capabilities," Nakatani said.
   Also pointing out that Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump, at their first summit in February, acknowledged the importance of stepping up command-and-control cooperation between the SDF and the U.S. military, Nakatani maintained, "This policy has not changed."