US, Japan plan biggest upgrade to security pact in more than 60 years

Japan has over the past couple of years dramatically increased its security capabilities, spending much more on defence, including plans to buy US Tomahawk cruise missiles. The Japanese military is also setting up a "Joint Operations Command" next year to improve co-ordination between the branches of its own Self-Defence Forces. But co-ordination between the allies is hampered because US Forces Japan (USFJ) has changed little from the days when the US and Japanese militaries did less together and has little command and control authority. Japan has to deal more with US Indo-Pacific command in Hawaii, which is 19 hours behind…