The Japanese government is reluctant to disclose the details of Self-Defense Force (SDF) operations to cooperate with U.S. forces in peacetime, which have been expanding under the security legislation enacted two years ago.
How to fulfill accountability for SDP cooperation with U.S. forces is posing a challenge to the government.
Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera underscored the significance of the security-related laws at a news conference on Sept. 15. "The Japan-U.S. alliance has further strengthened, and U.S. and other concerned countries' confidence in Japan has increased," he said.
Following repeated missile launches by North Korea, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force carried out a mission to guard U.S. Navy vessels in peacetime for the first time in May this year. Moreover, SDF supply vessels have been engaged in a mission to refuel U.S. Aegis destroyers, which are on alert against missile launches, once or twice a month since April.
Read the full story at The Mainichi