Japanese Marines
Although it is officially declared that the Self-Defense Forces are intended solely to protect Japanese territory from attack from the sea, the defense of Japan's island possessions and the exclusive economic zone, in 2018 the Amphibious Rapid Reaction Brigade was formed, which is actually an expeditionary marine brigade. This unit is designed to conduct amphibious operations at a considerable distance from places of permanent deployment and is directly subordinate to the Command of the Ground Self-Defense Forces.
Structure of the amphibious rapid reaction brigade
The headquarters of the Amphibious Brigade is located at the Ainoura Garrison in Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture. It consists of three regiments of amphibious (marine) infantry, a heavy weapons battalion, a logistics and logistics supply battalion, a separate special-purpose company (reconnaissance and sabotage) and a communications company. After the completion of the formation and deployment of all structural units, by 2025 the number of the brigade should exceed 3500 people. Taking into account the existing prepared reserve, this can be done now.
Each regiment, numbering over 700 men, consists of a headquarters company, a company Defense and two battalions of marines (220 men each). The regiment is provided with a helicopter squadron, armored landing vehicles, boats and launches.
The heavy weapons battalion has a headquarters company, a radar platoon with a JMPQ-P13 counter-battery radar, a fire control platoon, a logistics unit and three fire batteries armed with 120 mm mortars.
Parts of the brigade are dispersed across several bases. Two amphibious regiments (1st and 2nd), their associated communications and logistics units and a training center are stationed in the Ainour garrison. The headquarters and part of the heavy weapons battalion, logistics units and mobile training corps are based in the Sakibe garrison, Nagasaki Prefecture. In the Takematsu garrison, Omura city, Nagasaki Prefecture, there are barracks of the 3rd Amphibious Regiment, communications and support units. In the Yufuin garrison, Yufu city, Oita prefecture, one of the batteries of the heavy weapons battalion and the supply platoon attached to it are stationed. Kusu Garrison, Kusu City, Oita Prefecture, is home to another battery of a heavy weapons battalion and a support unit. The headquarters of the logistics and logistics support battalion is located in the Ainour garrison. There is also a base for two companies for the repair and maintenance of equipment and weapons. Support and support platoons for landing operations are deployed in the garrisons of Sakibe, Takematsu and Kusu. The battalion also has transport and medical units.
When recruiting military personnel to the Amphibious Brigade, they are subject to increased demands in terms of physical fitness, endurance and moral and volitional qualities. Most of the Marines have related military specialties, many have diving and parachute training.
In the Ground Self-Defense Forces, this unit, along with the airborne brigade, is considered elite, and serving in them is very prestigious.
Armament and equipment of Japanese marines
Each Japanese Marine participating in a landing on an enemy coast, in addition to personal weapons a set of combat equipment is required: a camouflage uniform corresponding to the terrain and climatic season, a backpack, a supply of water and food, a waterproof and heat-saving poncho, a water purification device, a first aid kit, a helmet and body armor, a night vision device, communications and protection against weapons of mass destruction. Snipers and fighters of sabotage and reconnaissance units are given “shaggy” camouflage suits and capes. In case of operations away from the rear units, the Japanese Marines are provided with compact camouflage-colored tents, a set of dishes, miniature gas stoves for cooking and water purifiers.
The brigade personnel are armed with 9 mm Minebea P9 and H&K SFP9-M pistols, 9 mm Minebea PM-9 submachine guns, 5,56 mm Howa Type 89 and Howa Type 20 assault rifles, 7,62 mm M24A2 sniper rifles , 5,56 mm Sumitomo MINIMI machine guns, 7,62 mm FN MAG machine guns, 12,7 mm Sumitomo M2 machine guns, 84 mm Howa 84RR and Carl Gustaf M3 grenade launchers, 60 mm Hirtenberger M6C-210 mortars, 81- mm L16 mortars and 120 mm RT mortars. Air defense companies use Type 91 MANPADS.
The Minebea P9 and H&K SFP9-M pistols chambered for 9x19 mm are quite modern and effective models.
The Minebea P9 pistol is a licensed copy of the Swiss-German SIG P220, which was produced by the Japanese arms company Minebea (Nippon Miniature Bearing Company) since the mid-1980s.
Minebea P9 pistol
The Minebea P9, like its original version, is a very durable and reliable weapon. The pistol has a magazine for 8 rounds. The weight of the unloaded pistol is 800 g. Length is 198 mm.
Although the production of Minebea P9 pistols has been discontinued, and for a number of reasons it no longer fully meets modern requirements, due to its significant margin of safety and service life it will remain in service with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces for a long time.
The German H&K SFP9-M is considered more suitable for use in marine climates. Purchases of this pistol began in 2020.
Pistol H&K SFP9-M
The pistol with a polymer frame is adapted for use in high humidity conditions and has a coating that is resistant to salt water. With an empty magazine for 17 rounds, it weighs 710 g. Length - 186,5 mm.
The Minebea PM-9 submachine gun, introduced into service in 1999, is a licensed Japanese version of the IMI Mini Uzi. This weapon replaced the American 11,43-mm M3A1 submachine gun and was primarily intended for military personnel not directly involved in hostilities: military police, drivers, signalmen, crews of armored vehicles, etc. But a certain number of 9- mm Minebea PM-9 PP, equipped with silencers, is available in special-purpose units.
Japanese soldier with Minebea PM-9 SMG
The Minebea PM-9 submachine gun differs from the Israeli prototype in a number of details. The weight of the weapon without ammunition is 2,8 kg. Length – 399 mm. Magazine for 25 rounds. Rate of fire – 1100 rounds/min. Sighting range – up to 100 m.
The 5,56 mm Howa Type 89 assault rifle chambered for 5,56 × 45 mm was created by Howa Kogyo based on the Armalite AR-18 and entered service in 1989.
Japanese infantryman with a 5,56 mm Howa Type 89 assault rifle
The gas operated assault rifle is partially made of aluminum alloy. With a length of 916 mm, the weight of the weapon is 3,5 kg. Rate of fire – 750 rounds/min. The effective range is up to 500 m. For ease of shooting from a prone position, there are folding bipods. The 30-round magazines are interchangeable with the American M16 rifle magazines.
The variant, known as the Type 89F, is intended for paratroopers and combat vehicle crews. The length of this weapon with the butt folded is 670 mm.
The Type 89 assault rifle should be gradually replaced by the Howa Type 20. The first deliveries of production Type 20 assault rifles began in 2021. According to statements by representatives of the Japanese military department, the Type 20 is resistant to aggressive external environments and is highly reliable.
5,56 mm Howa Type 20 assault rifle
The Howa Type 20 rifle has a telescopic butt, a two-way safety switch, and can be mounted with various sighting devices, an under-barrel grenade launcher, a flashlight and a light bipod. The weight of the weapon is 3,5 kg. Length depending on the position of the butt: 780-850 mm. Rate of fire: 650-800 rounds/min. Magazine for 30 rounds. Since the Type 20 barrel is shortened to 330 mm, this weapon uses a specially developed J-3 cartridge, with a powder charge and armor-piercing bullet optimized for this barrel length. However, the ability to fire other 5,56 × 45 mm cartridges is retained, but the efficiency may be lower.
In 2002, the M24A2 sniper rifle produced by the American company Remington Arms was adopted. This weapon is chambered for 7,62×51 mm and has manual reloading.
M24A2 sniper rifle
A fully equipped rifle with optics and bipod weighs 7,3 kg. The length is 1092 mm. Thanks to the use of detachable magazines for 5 and 10 rounds, a trained shooter can fire up to 20 shots per minute.
A well-trained sniper pair is capable of using this weapon with a high probability of hitting targets at a distance of up to 800 m and conducting harassing fire at a distance of up to 1200 m.
The licensed production of the 5,56 mm MINIMI light machine gun is carried out by Sumitomo.
5,56 mm Sumitomo MINIMI machine gun
The gas-operated machine gun has a universal power supply system that allows the use of boxes with belt for 100 or 200 rounds, as well as magazines from the M16 rifle. Automation functions by removing part of the powder gases; fire is fired from an open bolt. Weight without cartridges – 7,1 kg, length – 1040 mm. The rate of fire, depending on the degree of contamination and the position of the gas valve, is 700-1150 rounds/min. Sights are designed for a distance of up to 1000 m.
This machine gun is used by all branches of the Self-Defense Forces and can be installed on various vehicles and watercraft.
FN MAG machine guns, which use 7,62 × 51 mm cartridges, were purchased especially for the Amphibious Brigade. This is due to the fact that the standard Japanese Sumitomo Type 62 rifle-caliber machine gun does not fully meet the requirements for operation in extreme conditions.
FN MAG machine gun
Automation works by removing part of the powder gases. The barrel of the machine gun is made quick-change; it has a carrying handle, which is also used when replacing a hot barrel. Feeding is carried out by a belt for 100-200 rounds. The machine gun with butt and bipod weighs 10,85 kg. Length – 1263 mm. Rate of fire – 600-1000 rounds/min. Sighting range – up to 1200 m.
The Sumitomo M2 heavy machine gun chambered for 12,7x99 mm is a licensed version of the 50-caliber Browning M2НВ machine gun with a heavy air-cooled barrel and has been produced since 1985. This automatic weapon, which operates due to the recoil of the barrel, is mounted on various equipment in the Japanese army and is used both for firing at ground targets and as an air defense weapon.
When mounted on a tripod, the 12,7 mm Sumitomo M2 machine gun weighs about 60 kg. The length of the machine gun body is 1143 mm. The rate of fire is 480-550 rounds/min. The range against ground targets reaches 1500 m, against air targets – up to 800 m.
The Howa 84RR multi-purpose 84mm grenade launcher is an indigenous copy of the Swedish Carl Gustaf M2, which was adopted by the Self-Defense Forces in 1984.
Howa 84RR 84mm grenade launcher
An unloaded grenade launcher with an optical sight weighs 14,2 kg and has a length of 1065 mm. The Howa 84RR is loaded from the breech of the weapon. The valve, which tilts to the left, is equipped with a conical nozzle (Venturi tube). A crew of two people fires up to 6 aimed shots per minute. For shooting from a prone position, in addition to the height-adjustable monopod support, which is also used as a shoulder rest, a bipod is used.
Over the course of many years of operation, the Howa 84RR has proven itself to be a reliable and accurate weapon, capable of firing a wide range of ammunition. However, the weight of the grenade launcher is excessive for carrying over significant distances. In this regard, in 2012, 300 modernized lightweight Carl Gustaf M3 grenade launchers were purchased.
Self-Defense Forces soldier with a Carl Gustaf M3 grenade launcher
Compared to the previous model, the weight of the Carl Gustaf M3 has decreased by more than 3 kg. The weapon was made lighter by using a reinforced fiberglass barrel into which a thin-walled steel rifled liner was inserted. The assigned resource is 1000 shots. To aim the weapon, a three-fold optical sight or duplicate mechanical sights are used. The ammunition includes rounds with cumulative (including tandem) warheads with an armor penetration of 600-700 mm, armor-piercing high-explosive (anti-bunker), high-explosive fragmentation, fragmentation with programmable air detonation, grapeshot, lighting and smoke. Projectiles designed to combat armored vehicles have a jet engine that is launched at a safe distance after leaving the barrel.
In the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, the Howa 84RR and Carl Gustaf M3 grenade launchers are considered multi-purpose weapons designed to destroy a wide range of targets: armored vehicles, manpower and fortifications.
Each Japanese amphibious company is equipped with a lightweight 60mm Austrian-made Hirtenberger M6C-210 mortar. This weapon is highly mobile, which should satisfy the fire support needs of small mobile units. It does not have support posts, and the gunner fires from the mortar while holding it with his hand by the upper part of the barrel.
Crew of the 60-mm Hirtenberger M6C-210 mortar
Usually the crew of a 60-mm mortar consists of two people, but if necessary, it is controlled by one soldier. Mortar weight – 5,1 kg. Barrel length – 815 mm. Rate of fire – up to 20 rds/min. Range - up to 2000 m. New 60-mm mines, filled with high-power explosives, with a body that has controlled crushing, are comparable in effectiveness to 81-mm mines.
The commander of the amphibious battalion has at his disposal 81-mm L16 mortars manufactured by Howa Kogyo under a British license.
81 mm mortar L16
For such a caliber, the mortar weighs little - 36,6 kg when assembled. L16 is disassembled into three main parts weighing 11,6-12,7 kg. Barrel length – 1280 mm. The fire is carried out by NATO standard mines weighing 4,2 kg. Maximum firing range – 5650 m. Crew – 3 people.
The striking force of the heavy weapons battalion is 120-mm RT mortars with a rifled barrel. This is a licensed copy of the French mortar Mortier 120 mm Rayé Tracté Modele F. MO-120-RT-61, produced since 1992 by Howa Kogyo. In 2021, the Ground Self-Defense Forces had 460 such mortars in service.
Shot from a 120 mm RT mortar
The mortar with non-detachable wheels is quite heavy - 582 kg. The barrel length is 2800 mm. The firing range is comparable to a light howitzer, a conventional mine weighing 16 kg - 8000 m, an active-reactive one - 13 m. Rate of fire - 000 rounds/min. Calculation – 10 people.
To detect the coordinates of enemy positions artillery and to conduct counter-battery combat, the battalion has a JTPS-P16 radar developed by Toshiba Electric.
This station is quite bulky and not very well suited for use in the Marine Corps. The system is mounted on two off-road trucks. An antenna with an AFAR and a gas turbine generator are installed on a 7-ton truck. The hardware and operators are housed in a van on a 3,5t truck chassis.
To fight the enemy aviation Air defense companies use 12,7 mm anti-aircraft machine guns and Toure 91 MANPADS.
The Toure 91 portable complex, developed and manufactured by Toshiba Electric, was put into service in 1991. To speed up work and reduce the cost of development, some minor details were borrowed from the Stinger, but in general, despite the external resemblance to the American MANPADS, the Japanese Toure 91 is an original, independently created complex.
MANPADS Tour 91
The mass of the ready-to-use complex is 17 kg. The length of the launcher is 1470 mm. The diameter missiles – 80 mm. Missile weight – 9 kg. Launch tube weight – 2,5 kg. Launch mechanism weight with radar interrogator and sight – 5,5 kg. Maximum missile flight speed – 650 m/s. Maximum firing range – 5 km. The missile is delivered to the troops loaded into a disposable fiberglass launch tube, onto which removable equipment is mounted: a radar interrogator of the “friend or foe” system, a launch mechanism with a coolant cylinder and a sight. The cooled homing head of the Type 91, unlike the FIM-92A Stinger MANPADS used by the Self-Defense Forces, had a combined guidance system from the very beginning: infrared and photocontrast.
Since 2007, the Type 91 Kai MANPADS (military designation SAM-2В) with an improved homing head and an optoelectronic sight has been mass-produced. The new modification is better protected from thermal interference and can be used in conditions of poor visibility, the minimum height of the defeat is also reduced.
Landing vehicles and vehicles of the Amphibious Brigade of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force
Transportation of personnel of the amphibious brigade, weapons, equipment, food and ammunition, as well as towing of 120-mm mortars is carried out by off-road vehicles.
The light armored vehicle LAV is designed for reconnaissance, patrolling and transporting officers in a combat zone.
The vehicle, produced by Komatsu Manufacturing, weighs 4,5 tons and is protected by bulletproof armor. Inside the cabin there are 4 people. The turret can be equipped with machine guns of 5,56-12,7 mm caliber. Diesel 160 hp allows you to accelerate on the highway to 95 km/h. The power reserve is 500 km.
The weight and dimensions of the LAV armored vehicle allow it to be transported inside a CH-47J Chinook heavy transport helicopter. However, to speed up the loading and unloading process, machines are usually transported on an external sling.
In the early 1990s, Toyota Motor Corporation developed the HMV all-terrain vehicle for the Self-Defense Forces, used to transport an infantry squad (10 people) and tow light weapons.
The vehicle weighs 2,64 tons and is equipped with a 170 hp turbodiesel. Maximum speed – 125 km/h. Cruising range – 420 km.
Since 1996, the Self-Defense Forces have received light all-terrain vehicles Tour 2 manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. This model has much in common with the Pajero civilian SUV.
The car can accommodate 6 people. Its curb weight is 1940 kg. Turbodiesel 125 hp allows you to accelerate to 135 km/h.
If necessary, the light top can be removed and a turret with a machine gun can be installed or a MANPADS operator can be placed.
Hino Motors and Toyota Motor Corporation jointly developed the Tour 1970 all-wheel drive, two-axle truck for the Self-Defense Forces in the early 73s. This model was produced for more than 30 years, during which time a number of significant changes were made to the design.
The curb weight of the vehicle is slightly more than 3 tons. The truck has a two-seater cabin and the back can accommodate 16 people. Load capacity reaches 2 tons. Travel speed is up to 115 km/h.
The Self-Defense Forces operate three-axle all-wheel drive trucks, also called Tour 73. The first vehicle of this type was supplied by Isuzu Motors more than 50 years ago. The eighth generation model is currently in production. On some new vehicles, the cabin is protected by bulletproof glass and removable light armor.
The curb weight of the truck is 8570 kg. Eight-cylinder diesel engine with 285 hp. allows you to accelerate to 105 km/h. The capacity of the body is 22 people. Load capacity is up to 6 tons. The total weight of the vehicle can reach 15 kg.
To carry out landing operations, 58 AAV7 amphibious vehicles were purchased, including 46 vehicles transporting troops, 6 control and communications vehicles and 6 medical evacuation vehicles.
The AAV7 amphibious vehicle going to sea from a landing ship
The AAV7 amphibious armored tracked vehicle was developed by the American company FMC Corporation (later United Defense Industries) and entered service with the USMC in 1972. The amphibian's body is made of aluminum armor 30-45 mm thick. Exit from the troop compartment is through a ramp hatch at the rear of the vehicle. For movement on water there are two water jets, which are equipped with a turning mechanism, which ensures maneuvering on the water. The armament consists of a 12,7 mm machine gun with 1200 rounds of ammunition, and an additional 40 mm automatic grenade launcher can be installed.
The crew is three people - driver, commander and gunner. In the rear of the vehicle there is a troop compartment, which accommodates 25 troops on three benches; When transporting cargo, the benches can be dismantled; the vehicle's load capacity is 4,5 tons.
The weight of the AAV7 reaches 29 tons. The Cummins V903 diesel engine produces 525 hp. can accelerate the amphibian on the highway to 72 km/h. The range on a good road is more than 400 km. Speed on water – 13 km/h.
The Japanese Marines have at their disposal CRRC inflatable motor boats manufactured by Zodiac Boats.
The boat has eight separate sealed compartments. Five of them are installed in the main body, and the internal space is divided by partitions with valves and interconnected. The boat is 4,7 m long and 1,9 m wide and can accommodate 10 paratroopers. Its weight without engine is 146 kg. Load capacity – 1250 kg. Typically a 55 hp two-stroke engine is used. with a water cannon.
To transport paratroopers and their equipment and weapons, the Self-Defense Forces previously actively used CH-47J Chinook and UH-60J Black Hawk helicopters.
Recently, along with helicopters, MV-22B Osprey transport-passenger tiltrotors have begun to be used, combining the speed and flight range of a turboprop aircraft, as well as the possibility of vertical takeoff and landing.
The aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of 27 kg can carry 442 equipped paratroopers or 32 kg of cargo. The maximum flight speed at an altitude of 9100 m is 4600 km/h. Combat radius - 565 km. Ferry flight range is 720 km.
In November 2014, a decision was made to purchase 17 Ospreys. The first deliveries of tiltrotors began in 2020.
In September 2023, training landings of paratroopers taken from the helicopter carrier Ise were carried out. It is planned to place several MV-22Bs on board Izumo-class aircraft carriers.
Combat potential of Japanese amphibious forces
Currently, the only Amphibious Brigade of the Ground Self-Defense Forces is still in the deployment stage, and its capabilities are still far from planned. However, even after the number and level of training of personnel reaches the specified indicators, this unit will be able to successfully conduct landing operations in a narrow sector, and only where there is no strong enemy defense, since the brigade does not have armored fire support vehicles.
However, do not underestimate the amphibious potential of Japanese ground forces. Joint exercises have been held several times in the past with US Marine Corps units stationed in Japan, and the Japanese military has learned a lot from the Americans.
As part of the Ground Self-Defense Forces, the 6th Infantry Division, headquartered in the city of Higashina, Yamagata Prefecture, and the 15th Brigade, headquartered in the city of Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, have been trained to conduct amphibious operations. These formations include rapid reaction regiments and infantry regiments with heavy armored vehicles and artillery.
Rehearsing the landing of soldiers of the 6th Infantry Division on the shore, in the background танк Tour 74
Since the Type 90 main battle tank (weight over 50 tons) is considered too heavy for landing from the sea, Type 74 tanks (weight 38 tons) were used for this purpose. However, information has recently emerged that a decision has been made to abandon the outdated Type 74 tanks, and therefore Type 16 armored wheeled fire support vehicles will be used in amphibious landing operations. The first landing of Type 16 vehicles belonging to the 15th Rapid Response Regiment of the 14th Brigade from air-cushioned landing craft was practiced on June 15, 2018.
Fire support vehicle Toure 16, delivered ashore by hovercraft
The combat weight of the Toure 16 is 28 tons. The vehicle is armed with a 105 mm cannon, as well as 12,7 and 7,62 mm machine guns. Diesel 570 hp provides speeds up to 100 km/h. Power reserve – up to 400 km. The frontal armor can withstand hits from 30mm shells, and the side armor protects against 12,7mm bullets. Crew – 4 people.
Thus, it can be stated that the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces have a fairly high potential for conducting landing operations on the coast. At the same time, taking into account the total number and composition of weapons of the Amphibious Brigade, 14th Infantry Brigade and 6th Infantry Division, which can be involved in landing operations, the Maritime Self-Defense Forces do not have a sufficient number of landing ships and landing craft necessary for simultaneous transfer of these connections.
Articles from this series:
Japanese naval landing force
Information