Japan's Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB)

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Japan activates first marines since WWII to bolster defenses against China
REUTERS

APR 7, 2018

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/04/07/national/japan-holds-kickoff-ceremony-nations-first-full-fledged-rapid-deployment-amphibious-force/#.WsnAa4jwbD4

TOKYO/SASEBO, NAGASAKI PREF. – Japan on Saturday activated its first marine unit since World War II trained to counter invaders occupying Japanese islands along the edge of the East China Sea that Tokyo fears are vulnerable to attack by China.

In a ceremony held at a military base near Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, about 1,500 members of the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB) wearing camouflage took part in the event.

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In front of spectators, troops conducted a 20-minute mock exercise recapturing a remote island from invaders.

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The brigade is the latest component of a growing marine force that includes helicopter carriers, amphibious ships, Osprey tilt-rotor troop carriers and amphibious assault vehicles, meant to deter China as it pushes for easier access to the Western Pacific.

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The activation of the 2,100 strong ARDB takes Japan a step closer to creating a force similar to a U.S. Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) able to plan and execute operations at sea far from its home base.


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The Meaning of Japan's New Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade Launch
The ARDB represents one of the most significant post-war reforms to the GSDF.

By John Taishu Pitt
March 29, 2018
     
https://thediplomat.com/2018/03/the-meaning-of-japans-new-amphibious-rapid-deployment-brigade-launch/
 
On March 27, 2018, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) underwent its most significant structural reform since its formation in 1954 with the creation of a unified command and the launch of an Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB) tasked with defending Japan’s remote islands. However, manufacturing delays and local opposition to stationing the V-22 Osprey will cause major setbacks to the new amphibious capability becoming operational.

Unlike the air and maritime services, the JGSDF has had no central headquarters to control its units. The JGSDF troops have been overseen by five regional armies operated under their respective commanding generals.

The move by the Ministry of Defense (MOD) will place the JGSDF unified command under the Ground Component Command in order to better respond to overarching regional threats to national security. Noting the lessons of power expansion by the Japanese Imperial Army, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera asserted that civilian control over the military would be maintained appropriately “based on pre-war lessons.”

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The ARDB will be tasked with a landing operation to retake a territory when a foreign armed force occupies a Japanese island. It will be headquartered in the SDF’s Camp Ainoura in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, with the initial staffing level at 2,100 personnel. The Camp is known to focus on Japan’s South Western islands including the Senkaku Islands.

The brigade had planned to utilize vehicles such as the AAV7 and V-22 Osprey that are also used by the U.S. to transport personnel and supplies; however, reports have found that the MOD is facing some delays.

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Japan showcases latest capabilities during ‘Fuji Firepower’ 2018
Kelvin Wong, Gotemba, Japan - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
30 August 2018
IHS Markit/Kelvin Wong

https://www.janes.com/article/82666/japan-showcases-latest-capabilities-during-fuji-firepower-2018?utm_campaign=CL_%20Jane%27s%20360-August-31-2018_PC5308_e-production_E-15430_KP_0831_0615&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) took the opportunity at this year’s ‘Fuji Firepower’ exercise to highlight its latest land and amphibious warfare capabilities and demonstrate its ability to secure the country’s outlying islands with a combined arms display at the East Fuji Maneuver Area (EFMA) near Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, on 26 August.

‘Fuji Firepower’ is the JGSDF’s largest annual live-fire drill and has been conducted annually since 1961. The latest iteration – which was observed by Japanese defence minister Itsunori Onodera and 24,000 spectators – comprised approximately 2,400 troops, 80 main battle tanks (MBTs) and armoured vehicles, 60 artillery systems, 700 support and logistics vehicles, as well as 20 fixed-wing and rotary aircraft.

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The JGSDF’s newly formed Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB), which was established on 27 March, also made its debut in the exercise series. The ARDB – which is based in Camp Ainoura in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, and combines ground combat and logistical assets along with aviation and naval support from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) – is an ongoing effort by the service to enhance its ability to defend the Nansei Islands in the southwest, including the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, which are controlled by Japan but also claimed by China.

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