The government has appointed Gen. Hiroaki Uchikura as the next chief of staff of the Defense Ministry's Joint Staff — a key post that will work closely with the Self-Defense Force’s new Joint Operations Command amid the growing military challenge from China.
The appointment, which was approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday, will take effect on Aug. 1. Uchikura, 60, who currently serves as chief of staff of the Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF), will succeed retiring Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida, 62, who has held the post since March 2023.
Hiroaki Uchikura, a native of Kagoshima Prefecture, graduated from the National Defense Academy in 1987, joining the Air Self-Defense Force and later serving as ASDF vice chief of staff and head of the Air Defense Command.
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