Japan and the United States have confirmed that the U.S. Space Force will launch a unit in Tokyo in December as planned, the Defense Ministry said, with the aim of strengthening bilateral deterrence capabilities.

The Japanese ministry said the arrangement was reaffirmed by Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin during their meeting on Sunday in Darwin, the capital of Australia's Northern Territory.

The unit will be set up at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo with a staff of about 10, as the United States boosts collaboration with its allies in the space domain, where competition with countries such as China and Russia is intensifying.

The main role of the unit will be to ensure smooth coordination with Japan, including the Space Operations Group of the Air Self-Defense Force. No new equipment is slated for installation as operations will utilize existing facilities at the base.

The establishment of the unit is expected to improve interoperability between Japan and the United States in the space sector and enhance the deterrence and response capabilities of the bilateral alliance, the Defense Ministry said.