What is JSDF's task?

Few days ago, when I did a questionnaire survey about JSDF, a lot of people answered “I don’t know about JSDF well”. I think many of Japanese people would answer “I don’t know about JSDF well” too. So today, I would like to introduce the tasks which JSDF cope with every day.

As I introduced before, JSDF is set up to defend Japan. So their main task is, in short, “To defend Japan”. But to defend Japan, there are a lot of tasks to do. So I would like to divide their tasks into some groups and introduce them to follow in order.

First, I would like to introduce the tasks which related to “Japanese self defense” directly.

Nowadays, Japanese conflicts with some countries (needless to say, they are China and Korea) become more and more seriously. The war between Japanese and them deserve broken out at any time. When the war broken out, Japan must be attacked by them. Then, Japan has to do Self-Defense. If JSDF doesn’t exist, Japan can’t achieve it. Undoubtedly, there is U.S. Army in Japan and if some wars between Japan and some country break out, they would attack Japanese enemies with JSDF according to the U.S.‐Japan Security Treaty. But it is doubtful that U.S. Army really attacks our enemies with JSDF. So JSDF must prepare for the war without U.S. Army. Then, to achieve it, what JSDF have to do? Their tasks can categorize like as follows roughly.

JGSDF…To intercept enemies which land on Japan and to get back some island occupied by enemies.

JMSDF…To sink some ships which belong to enemy’s forces and do the naval blockage.

JASDF…To intercept the fighters, bombers and sometimes ICBM(長距離弾道ミサイル、大陸間弾道ミサイル).

Second, I would like to introduce about their task “Disaster Relief”

In 2011, March 11, terrible earthquake attacked East Japan. A lot of cities had heavy damage by earthquake and tsunami, almost all infrastructures were destroyed. A lot of people were forced to live in shelter but there were no foods, no fuel, no blankets because everything was brought by earthquake and tsunami. Then, people need some relief. But there were few things which rescue could do because their equipment couldn’t use in mountain of rubble. So JSDF carry a lot of relief supplies and rescued many people in place of rescue. As I just introduced, JSDF’s tasks is not only “Japanese Self Defense” but also “Disaster relief” is their task. As general, when some disaster attack Japanese city, almost all equipment which rescue and fire office have can’t be used. But JSDF’s can be used in such situation because their equipment is designed to use in such situation. So JSDF could save many people before in every case. If there were not JSDF in Japan, millions of lives would be lost.

In addition, JSDF did another task. For example PKO is the famous JSDF’s task. They work not only in Japan but also in the world. we have to remember that our lives is supported by their works.

The three kinds of JSDF

JFDF has three sorts :

 JGSDF (Japanese Ground Self Defense Force, ”Rikujou-Jieitai”)

JMSDF(Japanese Marine Self Defense Force, “Kaijou-Jieitai”)

JASDF(Japanese Air Self Defense Force, “Kouku-Jieitai”)

Each JSDF plays different roles.

JGSDF covers Japanese land. Their works are to eliminate enemies who get on Japanese land and get back Japanese islands which are occupied by foreign forces.

JMSDF covers Japanese sea. Their main work is to defend Japanese territorial waters from spy ship.

JASDF covers Japanese sky. Their main work is to defend Japanese sky.

These three kinds JSDF cooperate to defend Japan.

Now, I want to introduce each JSDF more details.

First, I introduce about JGSDF.

JGSDF has the largest number of member in these three : about 150,000.

The amount of JSDF’s member is about 250,000. So JGSDF occupies 60% of all JSDF members.

Nothing to say, they also occupies the largest position in JSDF’s budgets : about $250000000, twice as large as JMADF and JASDF.

Then, let’s see about their weapons.

To complete their works, they have many weapons.

Tank, helicopter, missiles, truck, and so on. (I would like to introduce more details about their weapons later.)

These weapons are very strong and many high technologies are used in them.

Nowadays, Japanese conflicts with the periphery becomes more and more seriously.

So to prepare for the worst situation, breaking out some war between Japan and ●●●, they needs much stronger weapons.

Second, I introduce about JMSDF.

As I said before, their main work is to eliminate spy ships. So they have many ships to play this role. Their ships are generally called “○○-Gata-Goeikan” in Japanese.

“Gata” means “Type” in English. For instance, there is one famous Goei-kan “Kongou-gata-Goeikan”.

There are some types of their ships. Aegis ship, Submarine, destroyer, and so on.

Especially, JMSDF’s submarine is very strong.

They are called “Souryuu-Gata” “Oyashio-Gata”. First, they are very silent.

Most of foreign forces’ ship can’t detect them. Second, they can go underwater very long time: about more than two weeks. As long as JMSDF have them, China, Korea, and Rossi can’t violate Japanese territory water easily.

Third, I introduce about JASDF. They covers Japanese sky.

Every day, some plane which belong to China, Korea, and Rossi violate Japanese airspace to scout some information about Japanese ability of defend.

JASDF intercepts them.

Needless to say, JASDF has many planes and missiles. F-15,F-2, and F-4 are ggod example. They are very strong, but too expensive. So JASDF is always luck of funds.

THE ORIGIN OF JSDF

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In 1950, the Korean War broke out.

These days, there was a lot of U.S. Army’s base in Japan because Japan lose in WWⅡ, and occupied by the U.S. Army.

In Korean War, the U.S. Army supported South Korea. And they attacked North Korea.

Nothing to say, U.S. Army used many tank and plane to attack North Korea.

Most of these weapons belong to the U.S. Army’s base in Japan.

And to repair their damaged weapon, they used factory in Japan.

In military standpoint, it is not unnatural that North Korea attack Japan because if the Commander of North Korea thought “To win this war, we need attack base of U.S. army in Japan.  B-29, P-51 ,F86, and so on are very dangerous. We need attack the base of U.S. Army in Japan.”, maybe Japan would be attacked by North Korea.

These days, Japan was exposed the danger of embroil in the war.

So, to defense Japan and U.S. Army’s base, GHQ had to set up Japanese own Army.

The first name of Japanese own Army was ”Keisatsu-yobitai”

Keisatsu means “Police”, yobi means “sub” and tai means “” in English.

After two years from they were set, their name is changed to “Hoan-tai” because in the same year, Hoan-Tyou was set up to control them.

“Hoan” means in English.

And another two years after, their name is changed to “Japanese Self Defense Force”.

As you know, Korean War stopped in 1953 but there are a lot of threats for Japan in the world, so after they were set up, they work to defense Japan.

For example, a lot of military plane which belong to USSR, China and so on violated Japanese air space every day to search how long distance Japanese radar fence can detect.

Japanese Self Defense Air Force intercepts them every day.

If they do not exist, all of Japanese people will be exposed to their threat.

Now there are a lot of threats for Japan in the world.

China, Korea and Rossi is the representative. These country always prepare for the war with Japan.

JSDF’s origin is what we call “Self Defense”.

They never attack foreign first.

They work every day to defense Japan but not for attack foreign.

To begin with……

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