Managing the U.S.-Japan Alliance: an Examination of Structural Linkages in the Security Relationship
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Managing the U.S.-Japan Alliance: An Examination of Structural Linkages in the Security Relationship Jeffrey W. Hornung ^ĂƐĂŬĂǁĂWĞĂĐĞ&ŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶh^ MANAGING THE U.S.-JAPAN ALLIANCE MANAGING THE U.S.-JAPAN ALLIANCE AN EXAMINATION OF STRUCTURAL LINKAGES IN THE SECURITY RELATIONSHIP Jeffrey W. Hornung Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA is an independent, American non-profit and non-partisan institution devoted to research, analysis, and better understanding of the U.S.–Japan relationship. Sasakawa USA accomplishes its mission through programs that benefit both nations and the broader Asia-Pacific region. Our research programs focus on security, diplomacy, economics, trade, and technology, and our education programs facilitate people- to-people exchange and discussion among American and Japanese policymakers, influential citizens, and the broader public in both countries. ISBN 978-0-9966567-7-1 Printed in the United States of America © 2017 by Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA Sasakawa USA does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views expressed herein are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sasakawa USA, its staff, or its board. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission in writing from Sasakawa USA. Please direct inquiries to: Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA Research Department 1819 L St NW #300 Washington, DC 20036 P: +1 202-296-6694 E: [email protected] This publication can be downloaded at no cost at https://spfusa.org/. Contents Abbreviations .............................................................................................. vi Preface ....................................................................................................... vii Introduction ................................................................................................ 1 Background ................................................................................................ 3 Structures ................................................................................................... 7 United States: Policy .................................................................................. 8 Japan: Policy ............................................................................................. 11 Japan: Self-Defense Forces .................................................................... 24 United States: Armed Forces ................................................................... 28 Structural Interactions ............................................................................. 35 Findings .................................................................................................... 53 Challenges in Peacetime Situations ....................................................... 57 Challenges in Crisis and Conflict Situations ........................................... 63 Recommendations ................................................................................... 66 Conclusions .............................................................................................. 74 Appendix A: Research Methodology ....................................................... 75 Appendix B: Unworkable Options to Deal with Multiplicity of U.S. Operational Actors ................................................................................... 78 Appendix C: Unworkable Changes to U.S. Forces, Japan ...................... 80 Abbreviations ACG Alliance Cooperation CCC-M Component Coordination Group Center-Maritime ACG-D ACG-Director CENTRIX-J Combined Enterprise ACG-DG ACG-Director General Regional Information Exchange-Japan ACG-ES ACG-Executive CinCSDFLT Commander in Chief Secretariat Self-Defense Fleet ACM Alliance Coordination COCOM Combatant Command Mechanism AF Air Force COS-JSO Chief of Staff-Joint Staff Office AMM Alliance Management DASD Deputy Assistant Meeting Secretary for Defense AOR Area of Responsibility DATT Defense Attaché ARFOR Army Forces DDG Deputy Director General ASD APSA Assistant Secretary of DG Director General Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs DOD Department of Defense ASDF Air Self-Defense Force DOS Department of State ASEAN Association of Southeast DPRI Defense Policy Review Asian Nations Initiative ASO Air Staff Office DSCA Defense Security ATLA Acquisition, Technology Cooperation Agency & Logistics Agency EAP A/S Assistant Secretary of ATOP Alliance Transformation State for East Asian and Oversight Panel Pacific Affairs BCM Bilateral Coordination FAO Foreign Area Officers Mechanism FLO Foreign Liaison Officer BJOCC Bilateral Joint Operations FOGO Flag Officer/General Coordination Center Officer BLC Bureau of Local FRAGO Fragmentary Order Cooperation BOCC Bilateral Operations GCC Ground Central Coordination Center Command C7F Commander, 7th Fleet GOJ Government of Japan CCC Component Coordination GSDF Ground Self-Defense Center Forces CCC-A Component Coordination GSO Ground Staff Office Center-Air GSOMIA General Security of CCC-G Component Coordination Military Information Center-Ground Agreement HNS Host Nation Support ABBREVIATIONS vii IB Internal Bureau SDC Subcommittee for Defense III MEF III Marine Expeditionary Cooperation Force SDF Self-Defense Forces IPD International Policy SOCOM Special Operations Division Command JC Joint Committee SOCPAC Special Operations JCS Joint Chiefs of Staff Command Pacific SOFA Status of Forces J-NSC Japan's National Security Agreement Council SOP Standard Operating JSO Joint Staff Office Procedures JTF Joint Task Force SSC Security Subcommittee MARFORPAC U.S. Marine Corps TCO Theater Campaign Order Forces, Pacific TJFCC Theater Joint Force MDAO Mutual Defense Component Commanders Assistance Office USARJ U.S. Army, Japan MOD Ministry of Defense USARPAC U.S. Army Pacific MOFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs USFJ U.S. Forces, Japan MSDF Maritime Self-Defense USFK U.S. Forces Korea Force US-NSC U.S. National Security MSO Maritime Staff Office Council NAAB North American AffairsVTC Video Teleconference Bureau WWII World War Two NOFORN No Foreign National NSS National Security Secretariat OPCON Operational Control OSD Office of the Secretary of Defense OTE Organize, Train and Equip OUSD (AT&L) Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics PACAF U.S. Pacific Air Forces PACFLT U.S. Pacific Fleet PACOM U.S. Pacific Command QDR Quadrennial Defense Report S&TF Science and Technology Forum SCC Security Consultative Committee Preface This important study represents a major step toward molding an ever stronger and better functioning U.S.-Japan alliance. Dr. Jeffrey Hornung has undertaken an ambitious effort to explain the structure of the bilateral security alliance and the complex nature of the institutions and individuals that manage it on a daily basis. This publication represents an important addition to the reference libraries of American and Japanese alliance practitioners, particularly for those who are new to the relationship, interested in understanding the role and function of the large number of organizations on both sides and their institutional linkages. Through interviews with over 50 Japanese and American alliance practitioners, this study provides a unique “insider” perspective on security-relevant institutions and organizations in both Japan and the United States, their primary roles and responsibilities, how they interact to coordinate policies and resolve differences, and how they view each other. Dr. Hornung’s careful research helps clarify the ways the senior leadership and the working levels on both sides of the Pacific interact to manage successfully an alliance that is constantly changing in response to a changing security environment. This publication also provides important recommendations to both sides for further strengthening and optimizing the institutions that manage alliance relations and for strengthening their linkages. I hope that alliance managers on both sides consider carefully Dr. Hornung’s recommendations to increase the efficiency of our robust alliance management structure and bilateral decision making processes. Ambassador (ret.) James Zumwalt Chief Executive Officer, Sasakawa USA Introduction Recent changes on both sides of the Pacific Ocean have helped make the U.S.-Japan alliance the strongest it has ever been. In the United States, President Barack Obama pursued a rebalancing strategy to the Asia-Pacific that significantly elevated Japan’s strategic value. In Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe passed a set of security laws on September 19, 2015, to ensure Japan will be able to play a more proactive contribution to peace.1 And on April 27, 2015, the allies released new Guidelines for U.S.-Japan Defense Cooperation. Much like the heightened expectations of a more proactive Japan that followed the revised National Defense Program Guidelines in 2004 and the completion of the Defense Policy Review Initiative with the United States in 2006, the passage of the security legislation and revision of the Defense Guidelines has once again raised expectations that the alliance will be more effective and proactive in addressing security issues throughout the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. This is unlikely to change, even under the Donald Trump administration. Visits by Secretary of Defense James Mattis to Japan and Prime Minister Abe to the United States in President Trump’s first month served to reinforce the positive trajectory of security ties by reiterating past commitments to the alliance.