The government plans to establish a joint transportation unit formed from the Ground Self-Defense Force and Marine Self-Defense Force in order to increase the SDF's supply capabilities in military emergencies, such as marine transport of supplies to the Nansei Islands, it has been revealed by multiple government sources.
The plan -- having in mind the Chinese military's expansion of maritime advancement -- will be stated in the next Medium Term Defense Program for fiscal 2019-23, which will be drawn up in the middle of this month.
The unit will be formed by newly bringing in mid-sized and small transport vessels. It will be the first joint transportation unit formed by the SDF. The unit will be placed under the defense minister's direct supervision.
Due to a personnel shortage in the MSDF, it was decided to also have the GSDF engage in marine transport to remote islands. The MSDF will provide education and training for operating transport vessels.
A new version of the National Defense Program Guidelines, which is to be compiled at the same time as the Medium Term Defense Program, will position the maintenance and stockpiling of ammunition and fuel as a matter of priority. The Medium Term Defense Program will thus make mention of the establishment of the unit.
Many of the Nansei Islands have no port facilities that large transport vessels are able to call at. To cope with this situation, the new joint transportation unit is designed to be able to conduct shuttle transportation operations to these islands with mid-sized and small transport vessels to prevent supplies such as surface-to-ship missiles, ground-to-air missiles, ammunition and fuel from becoming depleted, particularly in military emergencies.
The government has boosted the SDF's remote island defense capabilities for the Nansei Islands, having an eye also on military emergencies in the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture.
The GSDF newly formed a coastal observation unit on Yonagunijima island in the prefecture. It is also proceeding with plans to deploy missile units among others on the islands of Miyakojima and Ishigakijima, also in the prefecture, and Amami Oshima in Kagoshima Prefecture.
In relation to this matter, the government will include the beefing up of firepower for remote islands in the National Defense Program Guidelines. It plans to establish in fiscal 2026 a unit to operate a new type of surface-to-surface missile, which is currently under development and is called a "hyper velocity gliding projectile intended for the defense of remote islands." The unit, which will be the SDF's first to operate long-range surface-to-surface missiles, is intended to face such situations as recovering occupied remote islands.
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