Compass Points - Japan SDF
Japan grows its combined arms forces
Compass Points - Japan SDF
Japan grows its combined arms forces
October 28, 2025
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The Nation of Japan is in the news. President Trump is on a trip throughout Asia meeting with allies, including with Japan’s new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi. The two leaders signed an agreement for closer cooperation. Later Trump addressed both US and Japanese military members onboard the USS George Washington docked at the American naval base in Yokosuka, near Tokyo.
Japan hosts a substantial US military force, most of which is based in southern Japan on Okinawa, including the Marines’ III Marine Expeditionary Force. The entire Japanese Self Defense Forces is roughly the size of the US Marine Corps.
Some in the Marine Corps have worked for years trying to figure out how to position Marines inside China’s WEZ - Weapons Engagement Zone. The entire nation of Japan is inside the WEZ, not only of China, but Russia, and North Korea as well.
Japan recently published their plan for upgrading the Japanese Self Defense Forces. Japan sees many of the same dangers in the western Pacific.
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The international community is now facing its greatest trial since the end of World War II.
The existing order of world peace is being seriously challenged, and Japan finds itself in the most severe and complex security environment of the post-war era.
China has been swiftly increasing its national defense expenditures, thereby extensively and rapidly enhancing its military capability in a qualitative and quantitative manner and intensifying its activities in the East China Sea, including around the Senkaku Islands, and the Pacific. North Korea has concentrated its efforts on enhancing its arsenal of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles, and pushing ahead with the launch of ballistic missiles and others. Russia has been conducting intensive military activities in the region encompassing the Northern Territories, alongside continuing its aggression against Ukraine. Russia has also been observed engaging in joint activities with China involving aircraft and vessels.
Amid this security environment, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) and the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) are fundamentally reinforcing Japan’s defense capabilities with independence and initiative, in an effort to protect the lives and peaceful livelihoods of Japanese people and resolutely defend Japan’s territorial land, waters, and airspace, as expressed in the three strategic documents.
Specifically, we are building future core defense capabilities such as stand-off and Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD). Furthermore, we are bolstering our unmanned defense capabilities, cross-domain operation capabilities, and command-and-control and intelligence-related functions.
Enhancing mobile deployment capabilities together with sustainability and resiliency is also important. Japan is expediting efforts to improve equipment operational rates, secure ammunition and fuel, and promote investments to improve the resiliency of defense facilities.
In addition to Japan’s own efforts, cooperation and collaboration with our ally and like-minded countries is critical. The Alliance with the United States is a key pillar of our national security policy and the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
-- Defense of Japan 2025
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As part of working with the US, Japan recently allowed US Marines to live fire a training missile near Mt Fuji.
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The U.S. Marines conducted a landmark training exercise which saw them fire the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System for the first time while near the base of Mount Fuji, Japan.
Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division unleashed HIMARS missiles during live-fire training at Camp Fuji on Oct. 27.
-- Marine Times
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It is strange that over the last six years, while the US Marine Corps has drawn down and depleted the Marine combined arms forces headquartered on Okinawa, the Japanese Self Defense Forces have redoubled its commitment to building up their combined arms forces. There is no debate in Japan about the need for more missiles, but also no debate about the need for more air, armor, artillery, and ships. In the US many theorists say warships are merely targets. In Japan, inside the WEZ of three dangerous adversaries, they say ships continue to be valuable weapons of war.
Japan has even recently established a new combined arms command, which will bring together all JSDF, from space to sky, from shore to sea to undersea, a full JSDF combined arms force that can deter, assist, strike, and fight.
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The JSDF Joint Operations Command (JJOC) was newly established in the Ministry of Defense (MOD) and the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) on March 24, 2025. In accordance with the Minister’s orders on SDF operations, the Commander of the JSDF Joint Operations Command (C-JJOC) is eligible to command centrally major units of the Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces, as well as units operating in the space and cyber domains from peacetime, so that the SDF will be able to establish a flexible defense posture depending on the situation. The C-JJOC also takes control of all aspects of operations and optimally distributes forces in order to ensure quick and effective joint operations.
-- Defense of Japan 2025
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Compass Points salutes the Marines firing the HIMARS near Mt. Fuji and also salutes the nation of Japan as they build up their combined arms forces. As Japan builds up their military, it is time for the US Marine Corps to rebuild, enhance, and restore the combined arms power of the forward deployed III MEF on Okinawa. Preparing for the increasing dangers in the Pacific and around the worlds requires more than missiles and drones. It means adding missiles and drones to a well trained and well equipped combined arms force, so that peace can be preserved.
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Defense of Japan 2025
https://www.mod.go.jp/j///////////////////////press/wp/wp2025/pdf/DOJ2025_Digest_EN.pdf
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Marine Times - 10/27/2025
Marines fire HIMARS for first time near Mount Fuji
By Zita Ballinger Fletcher
In 1971 as a FO in 3/12 we shot 105’s into the base of Fuji. Protesters were ever present. Perhaps these HIMARS were launched outside the protesters engagement zone!?
Japan is truly within the Chinese WEZ. All Japanese forces are SIF. With all the hype of long-range precision fires, the JGDF has 9 divisions. Unlike the Marine Corps, they even operate tanks! They are prepared for the close battle. Yet, they are also prepared to strike back at China with 7 anti-ship missile regiments. While their regiments are equivalent to our Bns, they are still a force to recon with.
Breaking news today is that the Philippines have stood up a surface-to-surface missile battalion, as part of their artillery regiment.