Japan Ground Self-Defense Force

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The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai^?), or JGSDF, is the name of the military ground forces (army) of Japan.

Contents 1 Strength 2 Organization 2.1 Tactical Organization 2.2 Special Forces 3 Regional Organization 4 Training 5 Current Equipment 5.1 Tanks 5.2 Infantry Fighting Vehicles 5.3 Self-Propelled Artillery 5.4 Towed Artillery 5.5 Armoured Vehicles 5.6 Armoured personnel carriers 5.7 Air defense vehicles 5.8 SAMs 5.9 Aircraft inventory 6 Past Equipment 6.1 Tanks 7 References 8 See also

[edit] 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. Antitank 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.

[edit] Organization

[edit] Tactical Organization

The GSDF consists of one armored division, twelve infantry divisions, one airborne brigade, 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.

[edit] 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

[edit] 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, Hyogo
  • 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
  • Ground Staff College
  • Ground Officer Candidate School
  • Others

[edit] Training

In 1989, basic training for lower-secondary and upper-secondary school 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 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.

[edit] Current Equipment

[edit] Tanks

• Type 74 (700)
• Type 90 (280)

[edit] Infantry Fighting Vehicles

• Type 89

[edit] Self-Propelled Artillery

• Type 75 (140)
• M110 howitzer (90)
• MLRS (90)

[edit] Towed Artillery

• FH-70 (480)

[edit] Armoured Vehicles

• Type 82 (500)
• Type 96 (160)

[edit] Armoured personnel carriers

• Type 60 (60)
• Type 73 (340)

[edit] Air defense vehicles

• Type 87 SPAAG

[edit] SAMs

• Patriot 3 batteries

[edit] Aircraft inventory

The JGSDF operates 548 aircraft, including 532 helicopters.

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service[1]	Notes
Beechcraft 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	2	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 Cougar	France	VIP helicopter	AS 332L	3
Kawasaki OH-1	Japan	scout helicopter		18	under delivery
MD Helicopters MD 500	Japan	scout helicopter	OH-6D OH-6J	48 115	built by Kawasaki
Mitsubishi LR-1	Japan	liaison		11
Sikorsky S-70	Japan	transport helicopter	UH-60JA	23	built by Mitsubishi

[edit] Past Equipment

[edit] Tanks

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

[edit] References

• This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain. - Japan
• Globalsecurity.org JGSDF section

[edit] 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)