The Defense Agency said Monday it would maintain the current system that allows only civilian officials to directly advise its director general.

Self-Defense Forces officers and some lawmakers had demanded that uniformed officers be given more say in the operations of the nation's military.

In August, then Defense Agency chief Shigeru Ishiba ordered the agency to review the so-called defense counselor system and other organizational structures of the agency to give the agency chief more effective command over the SDF, whose roles are expected to grow and diversify.