Foundation for Increase in Ground EW Capabilities

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) has stood up a new EW unit under its Ground Component Command, to enhance the service’s capabilities in the electromagnetic spectrum.

Established on 17 March at Camp Asaka, the Electronic Warfare Operations Unit will become Japan’s command centre for electronic defence, supervising other EW units across the country. The JGSDF currently has about 180 personnel specialised in EW-related operations.

One of the new unit’s main tasks will be to detect and identify an adversary’s naval and airborne communications and radar emissions. It will then use this information to jam radar and missile seekers, while protecting the JGSDF’s own communication links.

The unit will operate the truck-mounted Network Electronic Warfare System (NEWS), which is comprised of several specially-equipped EW vehicles, designed to perform electronic reconnaissance and degrade the adversaries’ C3 networks.

Most of the JGSDF’s EW units are currently stationed on Hokkaido, near Russian territory, and on Kyushu and Okinawa, close to Japan’s remote southwestern islands. Some of those islands, including the Senkakus, are also claimed by China.

In fact, the service has already established eight EW units across the country: Camp Rumoi and Camp Higashi-Chitose on Hokkaido; Camp Kengun in Kumamoto; Camp Ainoura in Nagasaki; Camp Amami in Kagoshima; Camp Naha and Vice-Camp Chinen on Okinawa; and, just recently, Camp Asaka, according to a JGSDF spokesperson.

Moreover, the service plans to stand up three additional EW units during the upcoming fiscal year 2022/23, which starts on 1 April. These include a unit at Camp Takada in Niigata, another at Camp Yonago in Tottori and a third at Camp Sendai in Kagoshima.

In addition, the service aims to establish two further EW units the following fiscal year at Camp Tsushima in Nagasaki and Camp Yonaguni in Okinawa. Yonaguni is located about 110 km from Taiwan.

Kosuke Takahashi in Tokyo for MON