TOKYO听–听The United States听飞补苍迟蝉听to disperse US聽Marine units throughout听闯补辫补苍’蝉听翱办颈苍补飞补听颈蝉濒补苍诲蝉听by 2026, arming them with听尘颈蝉蝉颈濒别s and lighter gear to deter China’s military, and will disc耻蝉蝉听the plan with Tokyo in Washington, DC, the听驰辞尘颈耻谤颈听newspaper said.
The US聽has already told Japan about the reorganization, which it will announce after a two-plus-two meeting in Washington on Wednesday between听闯补辫补苍’蝉听ministers of defense and foreign affairs and their US聽counterparts, the paper reported.
Officials at听闯补辫补苍’蝉听defense ministry were unavailable for comment. A foreign ministry official declined to comment about the report, but said Japan and the US聽“will disc耻蝉蝉听matters regarding iss耻别蝉听on the US聽Forces Japan, including the realignment of the US聽Forces Japan”.
The creation of the new units, called Marine Littoral Regiments, is part of a major reorganization of the US聽Marine Corps outlined by its commandant, General David Berger, in 2020 in his Force Design 2030 paper.
At the time Berger told Reuters he wanted those units to work closely with听闯补辫补苍’蝉听Self Defense Forces to prevent easy access to the Pacific for China鈥檚 military.
As part of that plan, the听惭补谤颈苍别蝉听are cutting aircraft numbers, and dumping most of their cannon artillery and heavy armor in favor of smaller “dispersed” forces equipped with听尘颈蝉蝉颈濒别s and drones that can operate in contested areas.
Japan hosts 18,000 US听惭补谤颈苍别蝉, the biggest concentration outside the United States. Most of them are in bases on the main听翱办颈苍补飞补n island, which is part of a chain that stretches听补濒辞苍驳听the edge of the East China Sea to within about 100 km (62 miles) of Taiwan.
That large US聽military presence has fueled local resentment, with听翱办颈苍补飞补‘s government asking other parts of Japan host some of the force. Although reorganization may not increase the number of听惭补谤颈苍别蝉听in听翱办颈苍补飞补, dispersing them could mean a broader presence听补濒辞苍驳听the island chain. – Reuters
