By Xu Juanjuan and Huang Jiayu

徐娟娟、黃嘉瑜

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.

日本海上自衛(wèi)隊的直升機驅(qū)逐艦“加賀”號，近期在美國圣迭戈海軍基地進行為期一個多月的海上測試。測試的主要內(nèi)容包括美國海軍F-35B戰(zhàn)斗機在“加賀”號上垂直降落、短距起飛等。對“加賀”號完成第一階段航母化改裝后的成果進行檢驗，意味著日本距離真正擁有航母的目標更近了一步，也折射出日美軍事勾連持續(xù)升級。

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.

在日本發(fā)展進攻性力量的過程中，美國不僅在政策上為其“松綁”，還向其提供不少助力。此前，美國就與日本敲定了2025年前向其出售42架F-35B戰(zhàn)斗機的合同。今年1月，美日正式簽訂合同，日本將在2025財年至2027財年期間從美國獲得約400枚“戰(zhàn)斧”巡航導(dǎo)彈。此外，美國還同意在日本生產(chǎn)“愛國者”防空導(dǎo)彈，與日本共同開發(fā)無人僚機、可攔截高超音速武器的新型導(dǎo)彈等裝備。

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.

除了武器裝備方面的合作，美日還在體制編制、裝備互操作性、聯(lián)合演訓(xùn)等領(lǐng)域加強勾連。日本是美國在東亞地區(qū)最重要的盟友，也是美國推進印太戰(zhàn)略、介入亞太事務(wù)的“馬前卒”。今年4月，美日達成旨在提升防務(wù)安全合作水平的一系列合作協(xié)議，對《日美安保條約》進行了“60余年來最大規(guī)模的升級”，使雙方勾連與捆綁程度進一步加深。按照計劃，日本將在今年年底新設(shè)“統(tǒng)合司令部”，統(tǒng)一指揮陸?？兆孕l(wèi)隊，并與駐日美軍司令部進行直接協(xié)調(diào)和信息共享。無論是自衛(wèi)隊的改革，還是“加賀”號的海上測試，都旨在提升日美兩國裝備的互操作性，增強自衛(wèi)隊和美軍一體化作戰(zhàn)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.

美國的肆意縱容，讓日本積極擴軍的野心不斷膨脹。近年來，日本不斷通過推動“美日+”軍事協(xié)作模式落地，綁定美日與第三方的軍事合作關(guān)系，并且在加入“奧庫斯”、加強同“五眼聯(lián)盟”合作等問題上表現(xiàn)積極。今年，日本海上自衛(wèi)隊首次向海外派遣“特別警備隊”，并出動艦艇編隊赴太平洋和印度洋海域進行長達7個月的部署。日本自衛(wèi)隊的定位，儼然正從向美軍提供后勤支援的輔助角色，逐漸變得更具攻擊性。在這種情況下，美日聯(lián)手干預(yù)亞太地區(qū)熱點問題的可能性也在不斷增加。

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.

盡管日本一再聲稱，其所有的擴充軍備之舉，都是防御性行為。但日本在美國支持下不斷強化進攻性力量的種種危險行徑，嚴重背離和平憲法，不斷掏空“專守防衛(wèi)”原則，勢必嚴重沖擊地區(qū)乃至全球安全局勢，值得多方高度關(guān)注和警惕。

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

（作者單位：軍事科學院）