Japan Ground Self-Defense Force

For the Imperial Japanese Army (1871–1947), see Imperial Japanese Army. For the Ministry of the Military (Ritsuryō) (701–1871), see Ministry of the Military (Ritsuryō).

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF; Japanese: 陸上自衛隊;, Rikujō Jieitai), is the main branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the de facto army of Japan.

The largest of the three services of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force is tasked with maintaining internal security in Japan and operates under the command of the chief of the ground staff, based in the city of Ichigaya, Tokyo. The present chief of the ground staff is General Eiji Kimizuka (Japanese: 君塚 栄治). The JGSDF numbered around 148,000 soldiers as of 2008.

The JGSDF was created on July 1, 1954. Up until the end of the Cold War, its primary concern was maintaining internal security in Japan and countering a possible Soviet invasion of Hokkaido.

History

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

On the outbreak of the Korean War, many U.S. units were transferred to Korea, and Japan was perceived as lacking defenses. Encouraged by the American occupation authorities, in July 1950 the Japanese government authorized the establishment of a National Police Reserve, consisting of 75,000 men equipped with light infantry weapons.^{[citation needed]} Under the terms of Japan's various peace treaties and the Mutual Security Assistance Pact (ratified in 1952), American forces stationed in Japan were responsible for confronting external aggression against Japan while Japanese forces, both ground and maritime, would deal with internal threats and natural disasters. Accordingly, in mid-1952 the National Police Reserve was expanded to 110,000 men and renamed the National Safety Forces.

Japan continued to improve its defensive capabilities. On July 1, 1954, the National Security Board was reorganized as the Defense Agency, and the National Security Force was reorganized afterwards as the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

For a long period, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force possessed a dubious ability to hold off a Soviet invasion of Hokkaido. 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.’ While the force is now an efficient army of 148,000, 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 Chief of Staff Eiji Kimizuka, speaks with a U.S. Marine officer aboard the USS Essex (LHD-2), in March 2011.

JGSDF Middle Army headquarters in Itami, Japan

Regionally the JGSDF is organised into five armies, the Northern Army, North Eastern Army, Eastern Army, Central Army, and Western Army.

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 (11th Brigade, 12th Brigade, 13th Brigade, 14th Brigade, and 15th Brigade)
• one airborne brigade (1st 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 regionally independent and permanent entities. The divisions strength varies from 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: the rapid-reaction reserve component (即応予備自衛官制度) and the 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.

Operational Structure of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force 2011

Grades

Ranks are listed with the lower rank at right.

Officer & Warrant Officer
（幹部・准尉）

Insignia	General （統合・陸上 幕僚長）	Lieutenant General （将）	Major General （将補）	Colonel （1佐）	Lieutenant Colonel （2佐）	Major （3佐）	Captain （1尉）	First Lieutenant （2尉）	Second Lieutenant （3尉）	Warrant Officer （准尉）
Type A （甲階級章）
Type B （乙階級章）
Miniature （略章）

Enlisted
（曹・士）

Insignia	Sergeant Major （曹長）	Master Sergeant （1曹）	Sergeant First Class （2曹）	Sergeant （3曹）	Corporal （士長）	Private First Class （1士）	Private （2士）
Type A （甲階級章）
Type B （乙階級章）
Miniature （略章）

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

JGSDF soldiers from the 22nd Infantry Regiment train with U.S. Army soldiers in a bilateral exercise at Fort Lewis' Leschi Town in October 2008.

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 all four-year 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 extensive. 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 (53)
• Type 90 (333)
• Type 74 (406)

Infantry fighting vehicles

• Type 89 Fighting Vehicle (69)

Self-propelled artillery

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

Towed artillery

• FH-70 (480)

Mortars

• M2 107mm Mortar
• Type 64 81mm Mortar
• L16 81mm Mortar
• RT 120mm Mortar
• Type 96 120mm Self-Propelled Mortar

Armored vehicles

• Type 82 Command and Communication Vehicle (250)
• Type 87 Reconnaissance and Warning Vehicle (100)
• Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle
• Komatsu Light Armored Vehicle (More than 1,965 as 2011)

Armored personnel carriers

• Type 73 Armored Personnel Carrier (340)
• Type 96 Wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier (333)

Air defense vehicles

• Type 87 Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun (52)

ATGMs and ASMs

• Type 01 Light Anti-Tank Missile (1,073)
• Type 79 Anti-Landing craft and Anti-Tank Missile
• Type 87 Anti-Tank Missile
• Type 88 Surface-to-Ship Missile
• Type 96 Multi-Purpose Missile System
• Middle range Multi Purpose Missile System(Chū-MPMS) (46)

SAMs

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

Other vehicles

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

Small arms

• SCK/Minebea 9mm Pistol
• H&K USP(Only Japanese Special Forces Group.)
• Howa Type 89 (120,030)
• Howa Type 64 (230,000)
• Type 06 rifle grenade
• H&K MP7(Only Japanese Special Forces Group.)
• Minebea 9mm Machine Pistol
• Sumitomo MINIMI 5.56mm Machine Gun (4656)
• M24 Sniper Rifle
• Howa Type 64 Sniper Rifle
• NTK/Sumitomo Type 62 machine gun
• NTK/Sumitomo Type 74 In-vehicle machine gun
• Sumitomo M2 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun
• Howa Type 96 40mm Automatic Grenade Launcher
• M4 carbine (Only Japanese Special Forces Group.)
• M203 grenade launcher (Only Japanese Special Forces Group.)
• Howa 84RR
• Nissan/IHI Aerospace 110mm LAM

• 

  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.
• Light-weight Combat Vehicle (LCV) System
• Maneuver Combat Vehicle
• Kawasaki UH-X - Successor to the UH-1J Helicopter.

Aircraft inventory

The JGSDF operates 469 aircraft, including 458 helicopters.

Aircraft	Type	Versions	In service	Notes
Beechcraft Super King Air	Utility transport	LR-2	6
Bell UH-1	Utility helicopter	UH-1H UH-1J	133+130	Built by Fuji
Bell AH-1 Cobra	Attack helicopter	AH-1S	90	Built by Fuji
Boeing AH-64 Apache	Attack helicopter	AH-64DJP	11
Boeing CH-47 Chinook	Transport helicopter	CH-47J CH-47JA	54	Built by Kawasaki
Enstrom 480	Trainer helicopter	TH-480B	20	30 planned, Under delivery
Eurocopter EC 225	VIP helicopter	EC 225LP	3	Replacing the AS332L
Fuji FFOS	Unmanned observation helicopter
Kawasaki OH-1	Scout/Attack helicopter	OH-1	38	Under delivery
MD Helicopters MD 500	Scout helicopter	OH-6D	193	Built by Kawasaki. Being slowly phased out
Mitsubishi MU-2	Liaison	LR-1	20
UH-60 Black Hawk	Transport helicopter	UH-60JA	34	Most built by Mitsubishi
Boeing Insitu ScanEagle	Reconnaissance UAV		1	Delivered by Insitu Pacific
Yamaha RMAX	Unmanned observation helicopter

• 

  AH-64 Apache

• 

  AH-1S

• 

  OH-1

Past equipment

Small arms

• M1 Garand semi automatic rifle
• M1 Carbine only M2 has Selective fire
• M3 submachine gun
• M1903 Springfield rifle
• M1919 Browning machine gun
• SCK New Nambu M66 submachine gun
• Colt M1911 Pistol

Tanks

• M4 Sherman
• M24 Chaffee
• M41 Walker Bulldog
• Type 61

Artillery

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

Anti-tank guided missiles

• Type 64 Anti-Tank Missile

Anti-aircraft guns

• M51 75 mm Anti-Aircraft Gun
• M42 40 mm Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun
• M-15 Self-propelled anti-aircraft machineguns (M15A1 CGMC)
• L-90 35mm Anti-Aircraft Twin Cannon
• Bofors 40 mm gun

Other armored fighting vehicles

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

See also

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

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)