Japan more than tripled the number of times it refueled US warplanes and provided other support to US forces last year, as a revised security pact extending military cooperation between the two nations went into effect, Japanese officials said.
Japan's Self-Defense Forces provided supplies and services to US forces 212 times last year versus 67 times the year before, a Defense Agency spokesman said yesterday, speaking anonymously in accordance with agency rules.
The increase came about after the US and Japan in February last year revised their bilateral security agreement. The new pact extended the scope of their military cooperation, allowing both sides' troops to use force when defending Japanese territory or when deployed for international peacekeeping.
The pact also revised the terms under which Japan's military could provide logistic support to US forces. Under the new terms, Japanese forces can supply and service their US counterparts on regular training exercises.
Most of the increase last year came from servicing US aircraft on exercises at Japanese bases, said the spokesman.
Of the 212 instances that took place last year, 148 involved fueling aircraft at SDF airbases, he said.
Under the reciprocal agreement, the US military provided supplies and services to their Japanese counterparts 182 times last year, an increase of 56 times over the preceding year, the spokesman said.
The spokesman had no comment about any projections for this year.
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