日米防衛相会談 指針改定で安保協力の強化を

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Aug. 6, 2012)
Revise defense guidelines to boost security cooperation
日米防衛相会談　指針改定で安保協力の強化を（8月5日付・読売社説）

To maintain peace and stability in Northeast Asia, it is essential to steadily strengthen and expand defense cooperation between the Self-Defense Forces and U.S. forces.
　北東アジアの平和と安定を維持するためには、自衛隊と米軍の防衛協力を着実に強化・拡大することが欠かせない。

Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto and U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta agreed in a meeting at the Pentagon on Friday that the two countries would jointly "study and discuss" the Guidelines for Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation, which stipulate methods of cooperation between the SDF and U.S. military during contingencies.
　森本防衛相とパネッタ米国防長官が国防総省で会談し、有事における自衛隊と米軍の協力のあり方を定めた「日米防衛協力の指針（ガイドライン）」について、今後、「研究・議論する」ことで一致した。

The guidelines were drastically revised in 1997 on the assumption of contingencies on the Korean Peninsula. Over the years, however, the security environment in Northeast Asia has dramatically changed, and defense cooperation between the two countries has developed in various ways. It is time for Japan and the United States to seriously consider revising the guidelines again to deepen their alliance.
　朝鮮半島有事を想定した１９９７年の指針の抜本改定後、北東アジアの安全保障環境は大きく変化し、日米の防衛協力も様々な面で進展している。日米同盟の深化に向けて、そろそろ指針の再改定を本格的に検討する時期である。

In their meeting Friday, the defense ministers also agreed on concrete measures for "dynamic defense cooperation" between Japan and the United States. The two countries will consider conducting surveillance activities in waters around Japan by using the U.S. military's unmanned reconnaissance planes and boost the two countries' joint drills around Guam.
　会談では、日米の「動的防衛協力」の具体策でも合意した。無人偵察機による日本周辺海域の警戒監視活動の実施を検討し、グアム周辺での共同訓練を拡大する。

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Enhancing deterrent to crises

Dynamic defense cooperation is meant to be a joint undertaking by SDF and U.S. military units. The program aims at enhancing the deterrent against emergencies through repeated joint information-gathering and reconnaissance activities, as well as drills and sharing of facilities.
　動的防衛協力は、自衛隊と米軍の部隊運用を通じた協力だ。日米共同の情報収集・偵察活動や訓練、施設使用を重ね、緊急事態への抑止力を高める狙いがある。

The two countries are planning to base their surveillance activities in Guam and utilize the U.S. military's Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance planes. These steps are expected to help the two countries share information before the outbreak of various incidents, and consider and discuss how to jointly deal with such events as situations develop.
　警戒監視活動では、グアムを拠点とし、米軍の無人機「グローバルホーク」を活用する方向だ。様々な事態の発生前の段階から日米が情報を共有し、事態の進展に応じて共同対処する方策を検討・協議することにつながる。

Also being considered is the preparation of military facilities in Guam and Tinian, part of the Northern Mariana Islands, to be shared by the SDF and U.S. forces, and conducting landing drills and other exercises. We believe such activities will be useful in boosting the defense of remote islands in and around the Nansei Islands, an area of increasing importance.
　グアムや北マリアナ諸島のテニアンでは、自衛隊と米軍の共同施設を整備し、上陸訓練などを行う案がある。重要性を増す南西方面の離島防衛の強化に役立とう。

As for the scheduled deployment of MV-22 Osprey new transport aircraft in Japan, the two defense ministers agreed that the United States will refrain from test-flying the aircraft in Japan until the safety of its flight operations is confirmed. They also agreed that Japan and the United States would give utmost consideration to ensuring the safety of local residents when the aircraft conduct low-altitude flight exercises.
　米軍の新型輸送機ＭＶ２２オスプレイの日本配備について、両閣僚は、安全性が確認されるまで国内を飛行させない方針で合意した。低空飛行訓練などで周辺住民に配慮することでも一致した。

It is quite significant for the defense ministers to have reconfirmed that they would ensure both the Osprey aircraft's safety and their deployment in Japan.
　閣僚間でオスプレイの安全性と日本配備を両立させることを再確認した意義は小さくない。

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Make most of Osprey info

Based on the latest agreement, the U.S. government is urged to make utmost efforts to provide information on the aircraft's safety and past crashes, and thoroughly implement effective measures to prevent similar accidents from happening again.
　今回の合意に基づき、米政府は、墜落事故や安全性に関する情報提供や、実効性ある再発防止策の徹底に最大限努力してほしい。

The Japanese government will dispatch a team of analysis and evaluation experts to the United States as early as by the end of this week to receive explanations on a report regarding an Osprey crash in Morocco in April. It will be important to closely analyze and verify the accident's causes from Japan's point of view.
　日本政府は、４月のモロッコにおける事故の報告書について説明を受けるため、今週中にも分析評価チームを訪米させる。日本独自の視点で、しっかり原因を分析・検証することが重要である。

After the bilateral meeting, Morimoto took a flight on an Osprey aircraft. He is scheduled to visit Okinawa Prefecture this month to explain Japan's analysis of the U.S. report on the Osprey accident in Morocco.
　森本防衛相は会談後、オスプレイに試乗した。月内に沖縄を訪問し、事故報告書に関する日本の評価結果を説明する予定だ。

It will not be easy to dispel local governments' concerns over the aircraft's safety, given their already heightened anxiety. But the government must tenaciously continue explaining in an effort to broaden their understanding.
　いったん高まった関係自治体の安全性への懸念を払拭するのは容易でないが、粘り強く説明を続け、理解を広げてもらいたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 5, 2012)
（2012年8月5日01時15分 読売新聞）