Defense Minister Gen Nakatani on Sunday pledged to strengthen the Self-Defense Forces’ transport capabilities to remote southern islands through a newly launched unit dedicated to maritime logistics amid growing tensions over the Taiwan Strait.
“The unit will enable faster and more secure deployment of troops,” Nakatani said at a ceremony in the western city of Kure in Hiroshima Prefecture to mark the Maritime Transportation Group, which was established on March 24 and is based in the city.
The group, placed under the direct control of the defense minister, consists of about 100 members. It aims to have 10 transport ships by March 2028, with two already built, according to the SDF.
The two ship captains are members of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, while most of the other crew members come from the Ground Self-Defense Force. The MSDF has been helping train the crews.
The move comes as China increases pressure on Taiwan, a self-ruled democratic island that Beijing views as its own and has not ruled out using force to bring under its control.
Taiwan is seen as a potential military flashpoint that could draw the United States into conflict with China, posing serious security challenges for key U.S. ally Japan due to the proximity of its far-flung islands, including the Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
The Maritime Transportation Group is expected to transport personnel and equipment of the GSDF’s Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, dubbed the Japanese Marines and based in Sasebo in the southwestern prefecture of Nagasaki, in the event of an emergency.
© KYODO
© Japan Today
