Page 21 - 2018 Defense White Paper

of JPY 5,298.6 billion, which increased by 1.3% compared to the previous year.
Chapter 1
The Japan Ground Self-Dense Force (JGSDF) has been pursuing the acquisition of high-level
mobility and surveillance capabilities to promptly respond to various contingencies in Japan’s
territorial islands. In April 2018, the JGSDF established the Ground Central Command 13) for the

rapid and f lexible employment of its divisions and brigades; deployed a coastal observation unit
near Senkaku/Diaoyudao Islands; and launched the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade,
tasked with amphibious operations. The JGSDF plans to reorganize some of its divisions and

brigades into Rapid Deployment divisions and brigades to quickly respond to future situations
in territorial islands.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has been upgrading the response capabilities

of its escort force and carrying out force buildup 14) for its submarine and f ixed-wing patrol
aircraft units in order to defend surrounding seas and secure Sea Lines of Communications.
The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) is maintaining air alert and warning units for the
full-time surveillance of the airspace around Japan. In April 2014, the JASDF founded the E-2C

equipped Airborne Early Warning Group in Okinawa and increased the number of F-15 f ighter
f light units to strengthen the defense posture in the southwestern region. By 2023, the JASDF

plans to deploy 42 new F-35A f ighters, new airborne early warning aircrafts, long-endurance
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), new air refueling tankers, and cargo aircraft.
In preparation for cyber warfare, the JSDF is improving its mission capabilities by augmenting
the SDF C4 (Command Control Communication Computers) Systems Command and the Cyber

Defense Unit which was created in March 2014, by integrating the cyber warfare functions of
the JGSDF, JMSDF, and JASDF. The long-term plan of the JSDF is to integrate the two
units and create a space and cyber command in 2020. The JSDF is also planning to establish a

surveillance system to monitor other countries’ satellites in space as well as a unit dedicated to
the surveillance of space by 2022.
In addition to the aforementioned force buildup, Japan created an additional “unif ied

13) It is an operations command–level unit in charge of the rapid and flexible unified operation of the JGSDF’s units
across the country. It is equivalent to the ROK Army’s Ground Operations Command.
14) In its force buildup efforts, by 2023, the JMSDF will increase the number of frigates from 47 to 54, that of Aegis
destroyers from 6 to 8, that of patrol helicopters from 76 to 80, and that of submarines from 16 to 22. It will
maintain the number of fixed-wing patrol aircraft at 65, a major share of which are the new P-1 patrol aircraft. A
plan to convert the Izumo-class destroyers to carry the F-35B is under review.

Section 2 Security Environment of Northeast Asia 19