Western Army (Japan)
| Western Army (Japan) | |
|---|---|
Western Army Distinctive Unit Insignia
|
|
| Active | 1 December 1955 – present |
| Country |
 Japan
|
| Branch |
 Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
|
| Size | Army |
| Part of | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Camp Kengun, Kumamoto, Kyūshū |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Lt. Gen. Kiyoshi Ogawa |
The Western Army (西部方面隊?) is one of five active Armies of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. It is headquartered in Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture. Its responsibility is the defense of Kyūshū and Okinawa.
In August 2010, a proposal was being considered by the then Japanese government to convert a conventional [battalion strength] regiment from either the 8th Division or the 15th Brigade into a "US-style" amphibious unit, effectively giving the Western Army a battalion of marines for dealing with contingencies. This proposal seems have been shelved or fallen into limbo in the interim.
As of June 2013, as part of an ongoing expansion of defense capabilities in the Western Army's area of responsibility, the MOD were considering creating a special "isle assault unit", whose role would be the recapture of remote Japanese islands that had been invaded by a foreign power., It would share this mission with the pre-existing Western Army Infantry Regiment, itself currently undergoing an expansion in manpower and equipment (e.g. increase in authorised strength to 680 effectives, & adding (initially 4) AAVP-7A1's to its TOE). Equipment for the new unit on the other hand, may ultimately include the Maneuver Combat Vehicle and the Light-weight Combat Vehicle (LCV) System, both of which were designed in part with the remote island defence mission in mind.
If stood up, the new unit together with the WAIR would form a major part of the Western Army's first response to a hostile incursion in the more remote parts of its AOR. In early September 2015, plans for the creation of the new unit, now referred to as an 'amphibious mobile unit' were confirmed. The new unit is to be stood up by the end of FY2017, with a training corps to be set up in the interim (by the end of FY2016).
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