Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (陸上自衛隊 Rikujō Jieitai?), or JGSDF, is the military ground force (army) of Japan.
Strength
The largest of the three services of the JSDF, the Ground Self-Defense Force operates under the command of the chief of the ground staff, based in the city of Ichikawa, east of Tokyo. Although allotted 180,000 slots for uniformed personnel, in 1992 the force was maintained at about 86 percent of that level (with approximately 156,000 personnel) because of funding constraints. The number of uniformed personnel is insufficient to enable an immediate shift onto emergency footing. Instead, the ratio of officers to enlisted personnel is high, requiring augmentation by reserves or volunteers in times of crisis. In 1992, however, GSDF reserve personnel, numbering 46,000, had received little professional training. Intended to deter attack, repulse a small invasion, or provide a holding action until reinforced by United States or Allied armed forces, the ground element is neither equipped nor staffed to offer more than a show of conventional defense by itself. Anti-tank artillery, ground-to-sea firepower and mobility were improved and surface-to-ship missiles were acquired in the Mid-Term Defense Estimate completed in FY 1990.
Organization
Tactical Organization
The GSDF consists of one armored division, twelve infantry divisions, one airborne brigade, a division, two combined brigades, four training brigades, one artillery brigade with two groups, two air defense brigades with three groups, one helicopter brigade with twenty-four squadrons and two anti-tank helicopter platoons.
Special Forces
Special Forces units consist of the following:
- CRF: Central Readiness Force (中央即応集団 Chūō Sokuō Shūdan):
Nerima, Tokyo
- SOG: Special Operations Group (特殊作戦群 Tokushu Sakusen Gun)
- 1st Airborne Brigade
- 1st Helicopter Brigade
- Tsushima Guardian Unit
- WAiR: Western Army Infantry Regiment (西部方面普通科連隊 Seibu Hōmen Futsū-ka Rentai)
- Ranger Platoon
Regional Organization
- The Northern Army, the largest, is headquartered on Sapporo, Hokkaidō, where population and geographic constraints are less limiting than elsewhere.
- 2nd Division
- 7th Armored Division
- 11th Division
- 5th Brigade
- 1st Artillery Brigade
- 1st Antiaircraft Artillery Brigade
- 3rd Engineer Brigade
- Hokkaido Depot
- The North Eastern Army is headquartered in Sendai, Miyagi
- 6th Division
- 9th Division
- 2nd Engineer Brigade
- North Eastern Army Combined Brigade
- North Eastern Depot
- The Eastern Army is headquartered in Nerima, Tokyo
- 1st Division
- 12th Brigade
- 1st Engineer Brigade
- 1st Training Brigade
- Eatstern Depot
- The Middle Army, headquartered in Itami, Hyōgo
- 3rd Division
- 10th Division
- 13th Brigade
- 14th Brigade
- 4th Engineer Brigade
- 2nd Training Brigade
- Middle Depot
- The Western Army, is headquartered at Kengun, Kumamoto
- 4th Division
- 8th Division
- 1st Combined Brigade
- 2nd Antiaircraft Artillery Brigade
- 5th Engineer Brigade
- 3rd Training Brigade
- Western Depot
- Other Units and Organizations
- Materiel 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
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 second lieutenant 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 GSDF. Like the maritime and air forces, the GSDF 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 on the Japanese islands, only limited areas were available for large-scale training, and, even in these areas, noise restrictions were a problem. The GSDF tried to adapt to these conditions by conducting command post exercises and map maneuvers and by using simulators and other training devices.
Current Equipment
Tanks
Infantry Fighting Vehicles
- Type 89
Self-Propelled Artillery
- Type 75 (140)
Japan - M110 howitzer (90)
United States - MLRS (90) United States
- Type 99 Japan
Towed Artillery
Armoured Vehicles
- Type 82 (500)
- Komatsu LAV Japan
Armoured personnel carriers
- Type 60 (60)
- Type 73 (340)
- Type 96 WAPC (160)
Air defense vehicles
- Type 87 SPAAG (41) Japan
SAMs
- Improved-HAWK United States
- FIM-92A Stinger (80) United States
- Type 81 Tan-SAM (60) Japan
- Type 91 (210) Japan
- Type 93 Kin-SAM (90) Japan
- Type 03 Chu-SAM Japan
Small arms
- Howa Type 89 Japan
- Howa Type 64 Japan
- FN Minimi
Belgium - M4 Carbine United States
- NTK-62 machine gun Japan
- SIG P220
- SIG P226
- M24 Sniper Weapon System United States
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Aircraft inventory
The JGSDF operates 548 aircraft, including 532 helicopters.
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | In service[1] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beechcraft Super King Air |  United States |
Utility transport | King Air 350 | 5 | |
| Bell 205 |  Japan |
Utility helicopter | UH-1H | 161 | Built by Fuji |
| Bell AH-1 Cobra | Japan |
Attack helicopter | AH-1S | 88 | Built by Fuji |
| Boeing AH-64 Apache | United States |
Attack helicopter | AH-64DJP | 55 | Under delivery |
| Boeing CH-46 Sea Knight | Japan |
Transport helicopter | KV-107 | 18 | Built by Kawasaki |
| Boeing CH-47 Chinook | Japan |
Transport helicopter | CH-47J | 56 | Built by Kawasaki |
| Eurocopter Super Puma |  France |
VIP helicopter | AS 332L | 3 | |
| Eurocopter EC 225 | France |
VIP helicopter | EC 225 | 1 | [2] |
| Kawasaki OH-1 | Japan |
Scout helicopter | 22 | Under delivery | |
| MD Helicopters MD 500 | Japan |
Scout helicopter | OH-6D
OH-6J |
48
115 |
Built by Kawasaki |
| Mitsubishi MU-2 | Japan |
liaison | LR-1 | 11 | |
| Sikorsky S-70 | Japan |
transport helicopter | UH-60JA | 23 | Built by Mitsubishi |
Past Equipment
Tanks
References
- ^ "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 15 2007.
- ^ EADS Press Release - Japan Defense Agency Received First EC225 In VIP Configuration For The Japanese Emperor’s Royal Flight Service
See also
- Imperial Japanese Army
- Japanese Iraq Reconstruction and Support Group
- Military ranks and insignia of the Japan Self-Defense Forces
|
Japan Self-Defense Forces | |
|---|---|---|
Japan Ground
Self-Defense Force (Army)  Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
(Navy)  Japan Air
Self-Defense Force (Air Force) |
||
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