Japan Ground Self-Defense Force

For the Imperial Japanese Army (1871–1947), please see that article.

For the Ministry of the Military (Ritsuryō) (701–1871), please see that article.

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
陸上自衛隊 (Rikujō Jieitai)

Command Ground Staff Office Components Northern Army North Eastern Army Eastern Army Central Army Western Army Central Readiness Force JGSDF Reserve JGSDF Reserve Candidate

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai^?), or JGSDF, is the army of Japan. The largest of the three services of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the Ground Self-Defense Force operates under the command of the chief of the ground staff, based in the city of Ichigaya, Tokyo. The present chief of ground staff is General Yoshifumi Hibako. The JGSDF numbers around 148,000^[1] soldiers.

History

Japan accepted the Potsdam Declaration in 1945, and, based on Potsdam Declaration Article 9, the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy were dismantled. Both were replaced by United States Armed Forces occupation force, which assumed responsibility for the defense of Japan.

The National Security Board was created in 1952. The National Security Board oversaw police reserve forces, Maritime Guard and Maritime Safety Agency minesweeping corps, and were reorganized by the National Security Force. These changes were influenced by the Korean War.

The building of the defense ability advanced, and, on July 1, 1954, the National Security Board was reorganized by the Defense Agency, and the National Security Force and the garrison were reorganized afterwards by the Ground Self-Defense Force, the Marine Self Defense Force, the Air Self-Defense Force.

For a long period, the effectiveness of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force to hold off a Soviet invasion of Hokkaido was in doubt, as Zbigniew Brzezinski observed in 1972 that it seemed optimized to fight ‘a Soviet invasion conducted on American patterns of a quarter of a century ago.’^[2] While the force is now an efficient army of 148,000,^[1] its apparent importance has declined with the end of the Cold War, and attempts to reorient the forces as a whole to new post Cold War missions have been tangled in a series of internal political disputes.

Organization

JGSDF Middle Army headquarters in Itami, Japan

Tactical organization

The GSDF consists of the following tactical units:

• one armored division (7th),
• eight infantry divisions, each with three or four battalion-sized infantry regiments,
• five infantry brigades,
• one airborne brigade,
• four combined (training) brigades,
• one training brigade,
• one artillery brigade,
• two air defense brigades,
• four engineer brigades,
• one helicopter brigade with twenty-four squadrons and two anti-tank helicopter platoons.

JGSDF divisions and brigades are combined arms units with infantry, armored, and artillery units, combat support units and logistical support units. They are a regionally independent and permanent entities. The divisions strength varies between 7,000 to 9,000 personnel, the brigades are smaller with 3,000 to 4,000 personnel.

Special Forces

Special Forces units consist of the following:

• CRF: Central Readiness Force (中央即応集団 Chūō Sokuō Shūdan): Nerima, Tokyo
  • Japanese Special Forces Group
  • 1st Airborne Brigade
  • 1st Helicopter Brigade
  • Central Readiness Regiment
• Western Army Infantry Regiment (西部方面普通科連隊 Seibu Hōmen Futsū-ka Rentai)
• Rangers

Reserves

The JGSDF has two reserve components: rapid-reaction reserve component (即応予備自衛官制度) and main reserve component (一般予備自衛官制度). Members of the rapid-reaction component train 30 days a year. Members of the main reserve train five days a year. As of December 2007, there were 8,425 members of the rapid-reaction reserve component and 22,404 members of the main reserve component.^[3]

Operational Structure of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force 2011

Regional organization

Disposition of JGSDF combat units

Armies

• Northern Army, headquartered in Sapporo, Hokkaidō
• North Eastern Army, headquartered in Sendai, Miyagi
• Eastern Army, headquartered in Nerima, Tokyo
• Central Army, headquartered in Itami, Hyōgo
• Western Army, headquartered at Kumamoto, Kumamoto

Other Units

• Other Units and Organizations
  • Material Control Command
  • Ground Research & Development Command
  • Signal Brigade
  • Military Police
  • Military Intelligence Command
  • Intelligence Security Command
  • Ground Staff College
  • Ground Officer Candidate School
  • Others

Training

Soldiers from the 22nd Infantry Regiment of JGSDF training with American Soldiers in a bilateral exercise at Fort Lewis' Leschi Town.

In 1989, basic training for lower-secondary and upper-secondary academy graduates began in the training brigade and lasted approximately three months. Specialized enlisted and non-commissioned officer (NCO) candidate courses were available in branch schools and qualified NCOs could enter an eight-to-twelve-week officer candidate program. Senior NCOs and graduates of an eighty-week NCO pilot course were eligible to enter officer candidate schools, as were graduates of the National Defense Academy at Yokosuka and graduates of four-year all universities. Advanced technical, flight, medical and command and staff officer courses were also run by the JGSDF. Like the maritime and air forces, the JGSDF ran a youth cadet program offering technical training to lower-secondary school graduates below military age in return for a promise of enlistment.

Because of population density and urbanization on the Japanese islands, only limited areas are available for large-scale training, and, even in these areas, noise restrictions are restrictive. The JGSDF has adapted to these conditions by conducting command post exercises, map maneuvers, investing in simulators and other training programs, as well as conducting live fire exercises overseas at locations such as the Yakima Training Center in the United States.

Current equipment

Tanks

• Type 10 (13)  Japan
• Type 90 (341)  Japan
• Type 74 (561)  Japan

Infantry fighting vehicles

• Type 89 Fighting Vehicle (69)  Japan

Self-propelled artillery

• Type 75 155 mm self-propelled howitzer (140)  Japan
• M110 howitzer (90)  United States
• M270 MLRS (90)  United States
• Type 99 155 mm self-propelled howitzer (87)  Japan

Towed artillery

• FH-70 (480) UK, Germany, Italy

Mortars

• M2 107mm Mortar  United States
• Type 64 81mm Mortar  Japan
• L16 81mm Mortar  United Kingdom
• RT 120mm Mortar  France
• Type 96 120mm Self-Propelled Mortar  Japan

Armored vehicles

• Type 82 Command and Communication Vehicle (250)  Japan
• Type 87 Reconnaissance and Warning Vehicle (100)  Japan
• Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle  Japan
• Komatsu Light Armored Vehicle (1,580)  Japan

Armored personnel carriers

• Type 73 Armored Personnel Carrier (340)  Japan
• Type 96 Wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier (322)  Japan ^[4]

Air defense vehicles

• Type 87 Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun (41)  Japan

ATGMs and ASMs

• Type 01 Light Anti-Tank Missile (1,073)  Japan
• Type 79 Anti-Landing craft and Anti-Tank Missile  Japan
• Type 87 Anti-Tank Missile  Japan
• Type 88 Surface-to-Ship Missile  Japan
• Type 96 Multi-Purpose Missile System  Japan

SAMs

• Improved-HAWK  United States
• FIM-92A Stinger (80)  United States
• Type 81 Short-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (57)  Japan
• Type 91 Portable Surface-to-Air Missile (210)  Japan
• Type 93 Short-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (90)  Japan
• Type 03 Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile  Japan

Other vehicles

• Hitachi Type 73  Japan
• Mitsubishi Type 73 Light Truck  Japan
• Toyota Type 73 Medium Truck  Japan
• Isuzu Type 73 Heavy Truck  Japan
• Toyota High Mobility Vehicle  Japan

Small arms

• SCK/Minebea 9mm Pistol  Switzerland
• Howa Type 89 (100000)  Japan
• Howa Type 64 (230000)  Japan
• Type 06 rifle grenade  Japan
• Minebea 9mm Machine Pistol  Japan
• Sumitomo MINIMI 5.56mm Machine Gun (4244)  Belgium
• Anti-Human Sniper Rifle  United States
• NTK/Sumitomo Type 62 machine gun  Japan
• Sumitomo M2 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun  United States
• Howa Type 96  Japan
• M4 carbine  United States (Only Japanese Special Forces Group.)
• Howa 84RR  Sweden
• Nissan/IHI Aerospace 110mm LAM  Germany
• Flamethrower(携帯放射器)  Japan

• 

  Tank Type 10

• 

  Tank Type 90

• 

  Tank Type 74

• 

  Infantry Fighting Vehicle Type 89

• 

  Armored Personnel Carrier Type 96

• 

  Komatsu LAV

• 

  Self Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun Type 87

Future equipment

• NBC Reconnaissance Vehicle - Successor to the Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle and the Biological Reconnaissance Vehicle.^[5]

Aircraft inventory

The JGSDF operates 469 aircraft, including 458 helicopters.^[6]

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service	Notes
Beechcraft Super King Air	United States	Utility transport	LR-2	6
Bell UH-1	United States	Utility helicopter	UH-1H UH-1J	146	Built by Fuji(118 UH-1J in service by April 2010)
Bell AH-1 Cobra	United States	Attack helicopter	AH-1S	84	Built by Fuji
Boeing AH-64 Apache	United States	Attack helicopter	AH-64DJP	10	Built by Fuji, 62 planned, further procurement cancelled
Boeing CH-47 Chinook	United States	Transport helicopter	CH-47J CH-47JA	54	Built by Kawasaki
Enstrom 480	United States	Trainer helicopter	TH-480B	1	30 planned, Under delivery[7]
Eurocopter EC 225	France	VIP helicopter	EC 225LP	3	Replacing the AS332L[8][9]
Fuji FFOS	Japan	Unmanned observation helicopter			[10]
Kawasaki OH-1	Japan	Scout/Attack helicopter	OH-1	34	Under delivery
MD Helicopters MD 500	Japan	Scout helicopter	OH-6D	111	Built by Kawasaki. Being slowly phased out
Mitsubishi MU-2	Japan	Liaison	LR-1	5
UH-60 Black Hawk	United States	Transport helicopter	UH-60JA	29	Built by Mitsubishi
Yamaha RMAX	Japan	Unmanned observation helicopter			[11]

• 

  AH-64 Apache

• 

  AH-1S

• 

  OH-1

Past equipment

Small arms

• M1 Garand semi automatic rifle  United States^[12]
• M1 Carbine  United States only M2 has Selective fire^[12]
• M3 submachine gun  United States^[13]
• M1903 Springfield rifle  United States
• M1919 Browning machine gun  United States
• SCK New Nambu M66 submachine gun  Japan
• Colt M1911 Pistol  United States

Tanks

• M4 Sherman  United States
• M24 Chaffee  United States
• M41 Walker Bulldog  United States
• Type 61  Japan

Artillery

• M1 155 mm Howitzer  United States
• M2A1 105 mm Howitzer  United States
• M2 203 mm Howitzer  United States
• M59 155 mm Cannon  United States
• Type 74 105 mm Self-propelled howitzer  Japan
• Type 75 130 mm Multiple Surface-to-Surface Rocket  Japan

Anti-tank guided missiles

• Type 64 Anti-Tank Missile  Japan

Anti-aircraft guns

• M51 75 mm Anti-Aircraft Gun  United States
• M42 40 mm Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun  United States
• L-90 35mm Anti-Aircraft Twin Cannon  Switzerland
• Bofors 40 mm gun  Sweden

Other armored fighting vehicles

• Type 60 Armored Personnel Carrier  Japan
• Type 60 Self-propelled 106 mm Recoilless Rifle  Japan

See also

• Japan Self-Defense Forces
• Japanese Iraq Reconstruction and Support Group
• Military ranks and insignia of the Japan Self-Defense Forces

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} IISS Military Balance 2008, Routledge, London, 2008, p.384
2. ^ Zbigniew Brzezinski, The Fragile Blossom (Harper, 1972) p.95, in James H. Buck, ‘The Japanese Military in the 1980s,’ in James H. Buck (ed.), The Modern Japanese Military System, Sage Publications, Beverly Hills/London, 1975, p.220
3. ^ [1]^{[dead link]}
4. ^ ARG. "Type 96 Armored Personnel Carrier". Military-Today.com. http://www.military-today.com/apc/type_96_apc.htm. Retrieved 2011-05-11. 
5. ^ "TRDI Department of Guided Weapon Systems Development". Mod.go.jp. http://www.mod.go.jp/trdi/en/programs/ground/ground.html. Retrieved 2011-05-11. 
6. ^ "資料17 主要航空機の保有数・性能諸元". Clearing.mod.go.jp. http://www.clearing.mod.go.jp/hakusho_data/2009/2009/html/ls229000.html. Retrieved 2011-05-11. 
7. ^ "Enstrom delivers first helicopter to JGSDF". Shephard Group. http://www.shephard.co.uk/news/rotorhub/enstrom-delivers-first-helicopter-to-jgsdf/8562/. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
8. ^ "Eurocopter Canada - News 04/07/06". Eurocopter.ca. http://www.eurocopter.ca/asp/cmNews060407-2.asp. Retrieved 2011-05-11. 
9. ^ EADS Press Release - Japan Defense Agency Received First EC225 In VIP Configuration For The Japanese Emperor’s Royal Flight Service^{[dead link]}
10. ^ "Fuji FFOS (Japan), Unmanned helicopters - Rotary-wing - Military". Jane's Information Group. http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-Helicopter-Markets-and-Systems/Fuji-FFOS-Japan.html. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
11. ^ "Yamaha RMAX (Japan), Unmanned helicopters - Rotary-wing - Civil". Jane's Information Group. http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-Helicopter-Markets-and-Systems/Yamaha-RMAX-Japan.html. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
12. ^ ^{a b} Licensed by Howa.
13. ^ Small number of M3s are held in reserve by various JGSDF special forces units.

References

• Japan
• Globalsecurity.org JGSDF section
• Number of Tanks and Major Artillery and Performance Specifications
• Number of Major Aircraft and Performance Specifications
• Guided Missile Specifications
• [2]

External links

• Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (Japanese)