By Xu Juanjuan and Huang Jiayu

徐娟娟、黄嘉瑜

The helicopter destroyer JS Kaga of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) recently completed over a month of sea trials at the US Naval Base San Diego. The trials primarily focused on testing the vertical landing and short takeoff capabilities of US F-35B fighter jets on the JS Kaga. The inspection of the results of the first phase of the aircraft carrier modifications means that Japan is one step closer to the goal of truly owning an aircraft carrier. This also highlights the deepening military collusion between Japan and the US.

日本海上自卫队的直升机驱逐舰“加贺”号，近期在美国圣迭戈海军基地进行为期一个多月的海上测试。测试的主要内容包括美国海军F-35B战斗机在“加贺”号上垂直降落、短距起飞等。对“加贺”号完成第一阶段航母化改装后的成果进行检验，意味着日本距离真正拥有航母的目标更近了一步，也折射出日美军事勾连持续升级。

As Japan develops its offensive capabilities, the US has not only loosened policy restrictions but also provided considerable support to it. Previously, the US and Japan agreed on a contract for the sale of 42 F-35B fighter jets to Japan by 2025. In January this year, the US and Japan officially signed a contract, and Japan will obtain about 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the US between fiscal years 2025 and 2027. Furthermore, the US has approved the domestic production of Patriot air defense missiles in Japan and is collaborating with Japan to develop unmanned wingman drones and advanced missiles capable of intercepting hypersonic weapons.

在日本发展进攻性力量的过程中，美国不仅在政策上为其“松绑”，还向其提供不少助力。此前，美国就与日本敲定了2025年前向其出售42架F-35B战斗机的合同。今年1月，美日正式签订合同，日本将在2025财年至2027财年期间从美国获得约400枚“战斧”巡航导弹。此外，美国还同意在日本生产“爱国者”防空导弹，与日本共同开发无人僚机、可拦截高超音速武器的新型导弹等装备。

In addition to weapons and equipment, the US and Japan are strengthening collusion in organizational restructuring, interoperability of equipment, and joint military exercises. Japan is the US' most important ally in East Asia and a pawn in advancing the US "Indo-Pacific strategy" and engaging in Asia-Pacific affairs. In April this year, the US and Japan reached a series of agreements aimed at enhancing defense and security cooperation and completed the most substantial upgrade to the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between Japan and the United States of America in over 60 years, which further deepened interdependence and collusion between the two sides. Japan plans to establish a new Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) Joint Operations Command (JJOC) by the end of the year to centralize command of its land, sea, and air self-defense forces, while coordinating directly with the US Forces Japan (USFJ) command for direct coordination and information sharing. Both the reforms of the JSDF and the JS Kaga's sea trials are intended to enhance the interoperability of US and Japanese equipment and improve the integrated operational capabilities of their forces.

除了武器装备方面的合作，美日还在体制编制、装备互操作性、联合演训等领域加强勾连。日本是美国在东亚地区最重要的盟友，也是美国推进印太战略、介入亚太事务的“马前卒”。今年4月，美日达成旨在提升防务安全合作水平的一系列合作协议，对《日美安保条约》进行了“60余年来最大规模的升级”，使双方勾连与捆绑程度进一步加深。按照计划，日本将在今年年底新设“统合司令部”，统一指挥陆海空自卫队，并与驻日美军司令部进行直接协调和信息共享。无论是自卫队的改革，还是“加贺”号的海上测试，都旨在提升日美两国装备的互操作性，增强自卫队和美军一体化作战能力。

The wanton indulgence from the US has fueled Japan's ambition to actively expand its military. In recent years, Japan has continuously promoted the implementation of the "US-Japan+" military cooperation model to bind the military cooperation relationship between the US, Japan and third parties, and has been active in joining AUKUS and strengthening cooperation with the Five Eyes Alliance. This year, the JMSDF sent a special security unit overseas for the first time and dispatched a fleet of ships to the Pacific and Indian Oceans for a seven-month deployment. The positioning of the JSDF is gradually becoming more aggressive from an auxiliary role of providing logistical support to the US. Under such circumstances, the possibility of the US and Japan jointly intervening in hot issues in the Asia-Pacific region is also increasing.

美国的肆意纵容，让日本积极扩军的野心不断膨胀。近年来，日本不断通过推动“美日+”军事协作模式落地，绑定美日与第三方的军事合作关系，并且在加入“奥库斯”、加强同“五眼联盟”合作等问题上表现积极。今年，日本海上自卫队首次向海外派遣“特别警备队”，并出动舰艇编队赴太平洋和印度洋海域进行长达7个月的部署。日本自卫队的定位，俨然正从向美军提供后勤支援的辅助角色，逐渐变得更具攻击性。在这种情况下，美日联手干预亚太地区热点问题的可能性也在不断增加。

Japan continues to claim that its military expansion is purely defensive. However, Japan's dangerous actions to strengthen its offensive power with the support of the US seriously deviate from its pacifist constitution and continuously undermine the exclusively defense-oriented policy. This is bound to have a serious impact on regional and even global security situations and warrants heightened attention and vigilance from the international community.

尽管日本一再声称，其所有的扩充军备之举，都是防御性行为。但日本在美国支持下不断强化进攻性力量的种种危险行径，严重背离和平宪法，不断掏空“专守防卫”原则，势必严重冲击地区乃至全球安全局势，值得多方高度关注和警惕。

(The authors are from the PLA Academy of Military Sciences.)

（作者单位：军事科学院）