Japan’s Self-Defense Force Fighter Jets Dispatched to Australia: A Check on China’s Expansion? Expansion of Collective Self-Defense Rights?

Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force F-2 fighter jet. Yonhap News

The Japanese government plans to gradually deploy Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets to Australian Air Force bases from next year. The Asahi Shimbun, a leading newspaper in Japan, reported this on the 30th.

According to the newspaper, Japan and Australia signed a ‘Reciprocal Access Agreement’ (RAA) earlier this year to facilitate mutual troop deployment.

In response, they have been strengthening defense cooperation, keeping in mind China’s ongoing military activities in the Pacific, including joint fighter jet training for the first time in August and September. However, it was reported that they agreed to a plan to station Self-Defense Force fighter jets in Australia for several months instead of stopping there.

The Japanese government has put forward the pretext that this measure is to counter China, which is strengthening its maritime expansion.

According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense, the fighter jets to be dispatched will be F-35, F-15, and F-2, which will be sent in multiple numbers to train and stay with the Australian military for several months. They are discussing a plan to dispatch a certain size of fighter squadron to Australia, maintain a certain troop strength by replacing the squadron.

This plan was carried out based on the legal review result that there is no problem in exercising ‘collective self-defense’ to counterattack when the Australian military is attacked, based on the three major security documents revised by the Japanese government last December.

The 2015 Japanese Security Law stipulates that collective self-defense is allowed to be partially exercised in a crisis situation where a country with a close relationship with Japan is attacked and a clear danger is posed to Japan.

The Japanese government has been insisting on the legitimacy of the exercise of collective self-defense by presenting examples such as protecting U.S. warships for missile defense in the event of a crisis on the Korean Peninsula and mine removal in the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East.

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (right) is taking a commemorative photo holding a koala with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Kings Park in Perth, Western Australia, in October 2022. EPA Yonhap News

According to the newspaper, Japan and Australia have recently upgraded to a de facto ‘alliance relationship’ by significantly strengthening security cooperation to deter China.

Japan is confronting China’s military threat in the East China Sea, where Taiwan and the Senkaku Islands (Chinese name: Diaoyu Islands) are located, and Australia has a strong sense of caution about China expanding its influence against Southeast Asia and Pacific island countries, which are their ‘front yard’. This has formed a consensus on counteracting China, leading the two countries to join hands.

The defense ministers of the two countries met in Tokyo on October 19th last year and confirmed that they would faithfully implement the contents of the ‘Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation between Japan and Australia’ signed last year. The Asahi Shimbun reported, “It seems that the plan for rotational deployment (of the Self-Defense Forces) began to be reviewed at this time.”

In the joint declaration announced by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last October, the two countries agreed to discuss and review response measures for emergencies that could affect the sovereignty of the two countries and regional security interests in preparation for a similar situation in Taiwan. It was announced that they agreed, which is the starting point for the basis for stationing the Japan Air Self-Defense Force in Australia.

In addition, the two countries decided to strengthen practical military cooperation by △joint training △multilateral exercises △mutual use of facilities to enhance the interoperability and joint capabilities of the troops. At that time, Yasukazu Hamada, the Minister of Defense, did not deny the question of whether ‘collective self-defense’ applies to Australia, saying “We will respond depending on various situations.” It was noteworthy because it contained the meaning that the range of use of Japan’s military power abroad could be expanded.

The deployment of a fighter squadron to Australia is intended to conduct efficient joint training in a wide airspace by renting an Australian Air Force base, according to the two countries.

Also, in the event of a similar situation, they revealed that they would cooperate with each other in terms of rear support and information sharing, considering that Japan, the United States, and Australia cooperate, hinting at the possibility of Australian military involvement in a similar situation in Japan.

However, the reason why experts point out the possibility of expanding the scope of application of collective self-defense from this measure, which is a joint training considering the exercise of collective self-defense and the Self-Defense Forces’ counterattack in the event of an attack on the Australian military.

Air Self-Defense Force fighter jet. Kyodo Yonhap News

According to Asahi, there have been cases where the Self-Defense Forces were deployed to Djibouti as a base for responding to pirates in Africa, but this is the first case for training overseas.

In a commentary, Asahi pointed out, “The joint training between Japan and Australia due to the rotational deployment of the Self-Defense Forces’ fighter jets is expected to assume that the United States, Japan, and Australia will engage in joint combat in the event of a similar situation in the East China Sea, South China Sea, and Pacific island regions.”

In particular, the dispatch of Self-Defense Forces’ fighter jets to Australia is equivalent to the ‘overseas deployment’ of the Self-Defense Forces, and there are concerns that the legal basis is insufficient, Asahi pointed out. The Ministry of Defense argues that the Self-Defense Forces are not stationed in Australia but are moving for training, Asahi added.

The opposition side also pointed out in the parliament last April about the Ministry of Foreign Affairs document written as ‘rotational deployment’, “The plan to station Japanese fighter jets overseas is unprecedented.” They were concerned that the Ministry of Defense’s military expansion could harm national interests.

The voices of negative evaluation are growing among Japanese military experts about the Ministry of Defense’s expansion of military power abroad.

Asahi reported that there are continuous criticisms that the Ministry of Defense intends to expand the application of collective self-defense, which is defined as being partially exercised in a ‘crisis of existence’ when a country with a close relationship with Japan is attacked or a clear danger is posed to Japan.

Koichi Yokota, an honorary professor at Kyushu University, criticized, “The legal basis is ambiguous for the de facto overseas deployment of the Self-Defense Forces,” and “It can endlessly expand the scope of collective self-defense, which itself has strong unconstitutional elements.”

Asaho Mizushima, a professor at the Waseda University Law School, pointed out that the Japanese government “is trying to expand the exercise of collective self-defense to countries other than the United States,” and “it is effectively adding the role of a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to Japan.” He also expressed concern that “the risk of Japan getting involved in military confrontation is increasing as the Self-Defense Forces gradually take over the duties and functions of the U.S. military.” Asahi also introduced that there are many opinions that the legal basis is insufficient to station fighter jets abroad for a long time because collective self-defense itself is unconstitutional.

Asahi reported that the Ministry of Defense is arguing that the Self-Defense Forces are not stationed in Australia but are moving for training in response to this.