Japanese SDF personnel dispatched to US

Japan and the United States are making arrangements to station Japanese Self-Defense Forces officers at key U.S. military organizations near Washington, in what would be the first such case, U.S. government sources said Thursday.

The envisaged dispatch of the SDF personnel as liaison officers is aimed at gaining firsthand information about U.S. military thinking as well as boosting bilateral cooperation in promptly responding to situations including disasters such as major earthquakes, contingencies in the East Asian region and pirate attacks, the sources said.

The exact timing of the dispatch of SDF officers to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and Office of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, core organizations of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force, has yet to be decided, they said.

(Agencies)