The Dynamics and Institutionalisation of the Japan – US Naval Relationship (1976-2001)
At the start of the twenty-first century, cooperation amongst international navies has once again emerged as an important element of international affairs, given new global security challenges, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. As such, the Japan-US naval relationship has been a relatively under-studied topic. The thesis pursues two interrelated objectives. First, it identifies and discusses the dynamics that have driven and in some cases constrained the development and institutionalisation of the Japan-US naval relationship over a 25-year period, between 1976 and 2001. Second, it examines the relationship between naval cooperation and institutionalisation in this particular naval relationship. A variety of factors contributed to the development and institutionalisation of the Japan-US naval relationship during this time period. The research indicates that the internal dynamics within the naval relationship, combined with external influences such as threat perceptions, national leadership influence and domestic politics drove and/or constrained the relationship at various times. The proposition advanced by this thesis is that when the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and US Navy operate together against a mutually acknowledged security threat or challenge, sharing risks and the defence burden, a dynamic is created in which cooperation encourages institutionalisation, which in turn facilitates improved cooperation. Institutionalisation is characterised in the thesis by the nature and extent of internal coordination, operational interaction, external linkages and by the depth of the relationship. The analytical framework uses these four components as indicators of progress in the development and institutionalisation of the naval relationship. A mapping technique is employed in the thesis as a tool of analysis to help order issues and provide a structure for comparing empirical data at three points over the course of twenty-five years.
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