U.S. Space Forces Japan activated Dec. 3 at Yokota Air Base, the latest milestone in the service’s push to establish components within combatant commands and a sign of a deepening space partnership between the two allies, U.S. military officials said.
Col. Ryan Laughton, the first component commander, received the guidon from U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific boss Brig. Gen. Anthony J. Mastalir. The unit is the second sub-component under SPACEFOR-INDOPAC, following Space Forces Korea.
Space Forces Japan will be a “small, dedicated” team to start, Laughton said multiple times in his first remarks as commander. Local media reports suggest the component comprises just 10 Guardians right now.
But Laughton, Mastalir, and U.S. Forces Japan commander Air Force Lt. Gen. Stephen F. Jost spoke during the ceremony of the importance of establishing a Space Force component at a pivotal moment in the U.S.-Japan alliance.
“Our two nations have long stood as leaders in peaceful space innovation and exploration, and with today’s activation, we will further deepen both our leadership prowess and our partnership when it comes to space,” Jost said. “As we move forward, we will continue to seek out opportunities to integrate the space domain into our deterrence efforts.”
The Japan Air Self-Defense Force has been building up its space capabilities in recent years, both with the U.S. and on its own, Mastalir noted.
“This year, Japan has launched multiple optical and radar intelligence-gathering satellites and capped off the year with the launch of Kirameki 3, yet another military communications satellite aboard the newest generation H3 rocket,” Mastalir said, adding that the country will launch its first space domain awareness satellite in 2026.
U.S.-Japanese cooperation in military space is also growing. Late last year, Japan joined the Combined Space Operations initiative, a multinational partnership to improve coordination in space. A few months later, Japan announced it would expand its Quasi-Zenith Satellite System, a collection of positioning satellites for the Indo-Pacific that hosts U.S. Space Force payloads. And last month, the Japanese reached an agreement to join USSF’s Wideband Global Satcom satellite network.
Still more opportunities to collaborate are on the table—and Laughton, an acquisition officer by trade, can help make that happen, Mastalir said.
“I wanted a materiel leader here at this component because we have a historic opportunity to buy, build, and operate capabilities that are allied by design with Japan, and there is no one better positioned to make that happen than Colonel Laughton,” Mastalir said.
Jost also hinted at how the U.S. and Japan can collaborate more in space.
“Whether it is enhancing satellite communications, accelerating space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, assuring persistent navigation, or bolstering missile defense capabilities, our commitment is clear,” Jost said. “We will work hard side by side with our Japanese allies to capitalize on the opportunities and meet the future challenges in the space domain head-on.”
To make that happen, Laughton said, both the U.S. and Japan need organizations dedicated to space. In addition to U.S. Space Forces Japan, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force is poised to become the Japan Air and Space Self-Defense Force in the coming years.
“We are excited about synchronizing together, exchanging ideas and planning and exercising side by side, what we can do and achieve in from and to the space domain is rapidly growing, and so too must both of our organizations in order to seize key security opportunities,” Laughton said.
Those opportunities will also come as the broader U.S.-Japan military alliance is poised to transform. In July, the Pentagon announced plans to convert U.S. Forces Japan into a joint force headquarters, shifting from an administrative organization to an operational one. At the same time, Japan is establishing its own Joint Operations Command.
“It is not lost on me the importance of taking command of Space Forces Japan at a time when both the establishment of the Japan Joint Operations Command and the conversion of U.S. Forces Japan as a joint force headquarters are nearly upon us,” Laughton said. “Each of these events is significant by itself. Combined, this is a historic moment for our alliance. When we add the capabilities of our Japanese and U.S. space teams to both of these efforts, we now have something truly monumental.”