Stars and Stripes
December 15, 2022

Russian bombers, fighter jets skirt Japanese skies to send a message, expert says

Russian bombers made a recent show of force near Japan to indicate the cost of being an “unfriendly country,” according to a Tokyo-based security expert.

Two Russian nuclear-capable Tu-95 strategic bombers accompanied by Sukhoi fighter jets made a seven-hour patrol over the Sea of Japan, according to a Reuters report Thursday that cited a Russian Federation Ministry of Defense statement from the previous day….

Relations between Russia and Japan have deteriorated….

Japan has joined western economic sanctions on Russia, which responded by withdrawing from treaty talks over the status of islands north of Japan and freezing joint economic projects in disputed islands north of Japan.

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The latest bomber patrol follows a Nov. 30 mission by Russian and Chinese warplanes that flew near Japan. Russian and Chinese aircraft also flew together near Japan in May….Russia this month also deployed coastal defense missiles near four islands north of Hokkaido that have been occupied by Russia since World War II but are claimed by Japan.

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Kyodo News
December 15, 2022

Japan mulls broaching revision of defense guidelines with U.S.

Japan is considering discussing revisions of its bilateral defense cooperation guidelines with the United States during their planned summit next month, government sources said Thursday.

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Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hopes to talk with U.S. President Joe Biden about the first revision of the Guidelines for Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation since 2015 at their envisioned meeting in January in Washington, the sources said.

The revision would enable the two security allies to collectively operate Japan’s enemy base strike capability in case it was attacked, they added.

The capability to fire upon and disable enemy missiles before they are launched from foreign territory, called “counterstrike capability,” will likely be stipulated in the government’s three key defense-related papers to be updated on Friday.

The documents include the National Security Strategy – Japan’s long-term policy guidelines.

Japan’s acquisition of counterstrike capabilities could modify the longstanding role-sharing under the bilateral alliance, in which the United States has served as an offensive “spear” and Japan as a “shield” to fend off attacks.

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Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada are set to hold a “two-plus-two” security meeting with their U.S. counterparts Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin in mid-January, the sources said.

Kishida is also certain to talk with Biden about Japan’s efforts to beef up its defense capability, such as a plan to nearly double Japan’s defense spending to 2 percent of gross domestic product – a level on par with North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states – over the next five years, according to the sources.