Japanese Version of Marine Corps

Having been annoyed with constant violation of Japanese territory in East China Sea, Ministry of Defense is going to establish Amphibious Mobility Force in Ground Self-defense Force next year. Asahi Shimbun reported it as a breaking news on Tuesday. The force will be the Japanese version of Marine Corps. One of those regiments will be deployed in Okinawa after a part of United States Marine Corps moves from Camp Hansen to Guam. The people in Okinawa may protest the policy of deploying Marine after Marine.

National Defense Program Guidelines decided by Shinzo Abe Cabinet in 2013 included establishment of Amphibious Mobility Force. Resembling US Marine Corps, the force is expected to be involved in military operation to regain invaded island with support of fighter jets and naval destroyers. Procurement of amphibious automobile or boat has been included in Mid-term Defense Program. Notorious tiltrotor aircraft, MV-22 Osprey, will join the force.

The first Amphibious Mobility Force will be established with 2100 personnel in Aiura Base, Nagasaki, next March. The base will have a commanding office and two regiments. The third regiment of the force with 600 personnel will be installed in Camp Hansen in early 2020’s. According to an agreement in Japan-US Foreign Affairs and Defense Ministerial meeting in August, both governments focus on enhancement of defensive power in Southwestern Islands of Japan.

Japanese and US governments agreed on Roadmap to Realign US Forces in Japan in 2006, which aimed at lightening the military burden of Okinawa and maintenance of deterrence. Based on the agreement, US government decided to move 9 thousand of Marine personnel from Okinawa, 4 thousand of which would be redeployed to Guam. The move to Guam is supposed to start in early 2020’s.

In terms of reducing burden of Okinawa, redeployment of alternative force in Camp Hansen should not be preferable. Although the commanding office will be in Nagasaki, Okinawa is geographically close to Southwestern Islands, including the islands of Miyako, Ishigaki and Okinawa itself. While Japanese government was dealing with intimidation with nuclear and missile development of North Korea, China has been accumulating examples of maritime advance to Western Pacific Ocean.

Deployment of new force in Camp Hansen will lead to solidifying of US base, which the people of Okinawa strictly protested. They are firmly against military bases in Okinawa to be targeted. The policy is going forward to making Okinawa a battlefield again.