The Diplomat – In March 2026, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) will undertake its most sweeping organizational restructuring since its establishment in 1954. The “Fleet Escort Force” (護衛艦隊), created in 1961 and long regarded as the backbone of Japan’s surface fleet, will be formally dissolved. In its place, the JMSDF will establish a new “Fleet Surface Force” (水上艦隊). At the same time, it will stand up an “Information Warfare/Operations Command” (情報作戦集団), integrating intelligence, cyber, and oceanographic functions into a unified operational nerve center.