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Summary of article:
In response to potential conflicts in the Taiwan Strait, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force plans to integrate missile and artillery command systems by 2030 to improve combat situation control, reaction speed and ammunition use efficiency when defending outlying islands.
Japan In recent years, we have continued to strengthen the defense of the southwestern outlying islands in response to potential military conflicts in the Taiwan Strait. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force plans to integrate missile and artillery command systems as early as 2030, which will allow commanders to understand the location of enemy forces and the Self-Defense Force’s deployment on a single screen, make rapid counterattack decisions, and avoid wasting limited ammunition.
Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that the Japanese Defense Ministry has allocated at least 17.9 billion yen (about US$110 million) in related funds in the 2027 budget estimate. The plan is to have Fujitsu lead the integration of systems currently used for air defense, anti-ship missiles and artillery and begin using them in various land divisions and other units as early as the 2030s.
The command system currently used by Lu Ze is manufactured by Fujitsu, the air defense system is responsible for Mitsubishi Electric, and the firepower system is developed by Toshiba. Since different systems are not interconnected, commanders must check multiple screens at the same time when assessing the combat situation to gain information about different units and weapons, which affects the speed of decision making.
The new system will centralize enemy information on land, sea and air onto a single electronic map, including the location of approaching enemy warships, landing troops and incoming missiles near remote islands, all of which can be displayed in real time.
In addition to enemy movements, the screen also displays the positions of various Self Defense Force units. When an enemy force approaches, commanders can more quickly determine which forces to send to respond, or which missiles to use to intercept, by avoiding response delays caused by information dispersion.
The report states that this scheme is also expected to reduce wastage of ammunition. Since the number of missiles and artillery shells that can be stored on offshore islands is limited, there may also be difficulties in supply if the war drags on. Therefore, how to use weapons effectively is very important.
In the initial phase of the new system, artificial intelligence (AI) will not be involved in combat decisions. Instead, it will focus on integrating information to make the war situation easier to understand. Which target the missile will hit is still decided by the personnel on site. However, the Defense Ministry is also considering using AI to assist the Self Defense Forces in analyzing future war situations and formulating defense policies.
Japan currently considers the southwestern outlying islands to be the center of its defense, primarily because it is worried that once China launches a military campaign against Taiwan, the war could spread to Japan. In recent years, Chinese aircraft carriers, missile destroyers and other warships often enter the Pacific Ocean and often pass through the southwest area of Japan, so they are often visible in the surrounding waters.
To prevent enemy forces from approaching, Japan is increasing the deployment of long-range missiles, hoping to launch a counter-attack beyond the enemy’s attack range. Among them, Lu Zi plans to deploy “Type 25 surface-to-ship guided missiles” with a range of about 1,000 kilometers at Kenjun Garrison in Kumamoto Prefecture.
However, even with long-range missiles, there may be situations where enemy forces break the defense line, reach remote islands, or even land. In addition to using tanks and infantry to stop the enemy advance, howitzers and anti-aircraft missiles would also be needed to provide support to fend off air attacks.
Japan hopes that by integrating the command system, various armies can more quickly coordinate their actions when facing simultaneous attacks from sea, air and land, and try to stop enemy forces before they penetrate deeply into remote islands, thereby reducing the impact of war on residents.
Summary FAQ
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Mainly in response to the risk of potential conflicts between the southwest outlying islands and the defense of the Taiwan Strait, commanders can simultaneously understand the location of enemy forces and the deployment of self-defense forces, shorten the decision time, and improve the efficiency of counterattacks and interceptions.
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The Japanese Defense Ministry has allocated at least 17.9 billion yen in related funds. It plans to integrate various systems under Fujitsu’s leadership and begin using them in various divisions and other units on the mainland as early as 2030.
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Will not done. In the initial phase, the focus was on integrating information to make the war situation easier to understand. Which target the missile should hit was still decided by personnel on site; The Defense Ministry later considered using AI to help analyze war situations.
