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GSDF marks launch of new electronic warfare unit

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buffalo

The squad’s parade weapons are Japanese-manufactured Howa type 89 rifles, compatible with 5.56 × 45mm NATO rounds in semi-automatic, three-round bursts and fully automatic.

They are being replace with Type 20 for the battlefield. Both are effective at 500 metres.

The squad leader’s sidearm is the Swiss/German or American-manufactured SIG Sauer P220 or P226 semi-automatic pistol, firing .45 cal or 9×19mm Parabellum rounds respectively.

It is being replaced by the Heckler & Koch VP9 firing the 9×19mm Parabellum or .40 Smith & Wesson rounds.

12 ( +16 / -4 )

buffaloToday  04:55 pm JST

What sort of rifles do they use? anyone?

Howa type 89 in 5.56mm NATO. Like any other military you still have to pass basic regardless of what unit you end up in.

11 ( +16 / -5 )

"It is essential that the unit (as a whole) effectively inhibit our adversaries' ability to maximize our capabilities,"

This makes no sense at all.

It should be "essential that the unit effectively inhibit our adversaries' ability to minimize our capabilities".

5 ( +13 / -8 )

CrickyToday  07:54 pm JST

Every military unit has one genius.

‘Thank you never been called a genius before, I’m flattered.

After Guidon, I suggest looking up scarcasm.

No one I know who has ever been in any military ridicules other men in uniform.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

CrickyToday  05:19 pm JST

Oh and they have a flag, so cute.

Every military unit has one genius.

In the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, a guidon is a military standard or flag that company/battery/troop or platoon-sized detachments carry to signify their unit designation and branch/corps affiliation or the title of the individual who carries it.

Look up Guidon.

2 ( +12 / -10 )

Something is better than nothing! Complaining over what the military is protecting or what kind of weapons they have or flag they are caring is senseless. Sometimes its best to not know at all what they do because it plays into the hands of the enemy! Deception is best!

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Why do they have guns? They going to shoot the computer hackers?

Military buildings and equipment needs to be guarded. Do you suggest they do that kitchen knives or sling shots?

1 ( +6 / -5 )

"Strengthening capability in the new fields is critical to achieving synergies in combination with conventional domains and to responding appropriately to situations," said Col Hiromitsu Kadota, the unit head.

Great example of authentic frontier technobabble. My hat is off to the translator.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

It will also be responsible for disrupting enemy communications and radar if called upon.

Like far**** in a crowded cafeteria, the signal confuses the olfactory sensors of surrounding enemies, disrupting their mealtime operations.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Very good. Electronic, digital weapons is the future , not atomic bombs or nuclear ICDM’s, and the lesson from the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is that the effect of the global internet warfare should not be underestimated.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I served as a radio operator in the Canadian army for a few years and have some experience with an electronic warfare unit. They aren’t just computer guys, they do stuff like messing with enemy tactical radio communications in the field, triangulating positions based on radio signals and stuff like that (probably they do more stuff now, I served back in the 90s). This is all stuff they have to do in close proximity to the battlefield, its not desk work like some seem to be implying.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

@rainyday

that makes sense! Thanks for the input!

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Very good. Electronic, digital weapons is the future 

It is not what you think. Electronic warfare is all about studying the many different wave forms used by your likely adversaries and coming up with ways to fool those waveforms or jam them altogether. If you adversary uses encrypted radios you are going to spend time trying to understand their encryption and get into their comms (think of how the US knew the Japanese were going to attack Midway or that Admiral Yamamoto was flying to the Solomons ). There are techniques used to create false returns on an enemies radar with names like Range Gate Stealing and Crosseye. Those sorts of spoofing require highly specialized equipment developed on electronic test ranges by engineers with detailed knowledge of enemy wave forms, detailed information that likely came from a specialized field unit, maybe like these or maybe a specialized aircraft like an EP-3 Aires ) who measured their wave forms off adversary radars.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Interesting that the "cannon fodder" wear masks and the officers don't.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

What sort of rifles do they use? anyone?

The Howa Type 89, which is derived from the Armalite AR-18. The AR-18 was designed at the same time as the AR-15 but didn't win the US Army competition for a new assault rifle and was never produced. It influenced a number of other weapons among them the Howa Type 89 and Singapore's SAR-80 and SR-88.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Why do they have guns? They going to shoot the computer hackers?

No, they will be in the field with people shooting at them. To jam or spoof enemy systems you have to be line of sight with the system you are jamming. That puts you and your equipment right in the middle of the fight.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I hope this will help makes the world a better place.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Judging from the number of down votes, it seems like they're already operational

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@buffalo

electronic, presumably. cunning how they've disguised them to look like conventional weapons though, obfuscating the enemy at every turn.....

-2 ( +7 / -9 )

They are going to blend in well with the 1s and 0s with that camouflage they're wearing!

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Well, we all can quickly and easily check their competency on AM 657 kHz. So far it is still good receivable on car radio at evening rush hour and even in big city’s concrete buildings surrounding. ROFL

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

They might stick out a bit at the next black hat convention, dressed like that.

Perhaps they could wear beige to blend in with their PC base units.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

What's physical location got to do with electronic warfare?

The jammer has to be line of sight with whatever transmitter or radar they are jamming.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

I do think the blue flags will stand out quite a bit from the camouflage, and if it is just for dress, why wear the uniforms and not the more formal suits for such a show?

The ascots (thingie around their necks) and flags are ceremonial.

Funny story but the Navy used to send their Flight Navigators to a USAF school. The Chair Force required officers to wear an ascot with their flight suit to enter the officers club. The Navy has no such silly rules. One time a group of Navy student navigators decided to make ascots out of toilet paper. That did not go over very well and they were expelled! For their next stunt they wore athletic supporters with the sack if you will where an ascot should go. This navigators school was in California and he received the blow back from that one all the way east in Pensacola, heh, heh, heh. Oh man we heard about it. I still laugh thinking about it ^_^

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Or the soldier can bring the jammer on a backpack.

https://i1.wp.com/idstch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/manportableEW.jpg?fit=832%2C495&ssl=1

These EW soldiers are not keyboard warriors, but real warriors.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

if it is just for dress, why wear the uniforms and not the more formal suits for such a show?

Agreewith your point. I think at some point the gsdf begun to mix up their dress code. This unique attire used to be used only for a military parade. Maybe they can save a cost of dry cleaners...

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

JT mostly over the hill "expertise" making fun of the Japanese military; just like the West did circa 1900's and later on in the 30's.

We all know what happened then, don't we?

I had the pleasure of meeting a Iwo-Jima, American veteran in Miami; derisive JT "experts" should speak to those who actually fought the Japanese.

JT "expertise" might learn something about Japanese and wars.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

What sort of rifles do they use? anyone?

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

New to the population more like!

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

They might stick out a bit at the next black hat convention, dressed like that.

Perhaps they could wear beige to blend in with their PC base units.

Sigh. This is the kind of equipment they will operate.

https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/6_CpRKBfY_l2QSBB-18N8DiLG6Q=/1200x0/filters:quality(100)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-mco.s3.amazonaws.com/public/U5HF5W64DVHANMW2QRRHMCWVSA.jpg

https://gdmissionsystems.com/-/media/General-Dynamics/Space-and-Intelligence-Systems/Intel/Images/prophet-vehicle-1.ashx?h=250&w=375&la=en&bc=ffffff&hash=68F0512B90FBEFE4CDD60CFD4A6B34E8E933F832

And now you know why they wear camouflage and carry weapons.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

"We all know what happened. Japan was defeated handily and many of its cities got reduced to rubble and thousands of innocent people died. I wouldn't yearn for those days."

We also know that defeating Japan was a "walk in the park", wasn't it?

So easy that two atom bombs had to be dropped!

I actually know history; too bad you want to be a "jocker" with such serious issues.

Alternatively, you don't actually know any of it.

"Defeated handily" you say?!

Tell that to the Americans, Australians, NZ, British at large, Filipino, and all the others that died in the process!

You should tell the millions of Chinese that felt the brunt of Japan's fury that fighting Japan was like beating on a kid.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

One can sure learn a lot from the "experts" here.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

I hope they choose a better acronym than the last special unit Japan formed; the Space Operations Squadron.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Why do they have guns? They going to shoot the computer hackers?

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

Headquarters in Tokyo /Saitama with units predominantly established in Okinawa.

Attempting to strengthen incapabilities.

The last paragraph of the article makes everything else sound not as sophisticated as they might want.

What percentage of them need to wear glasses ?

Are those electromagnetic rifles with interface to gain superiority and dominance over potential adversaries ?

All very high tech and sophisticated .

Bravo !

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

Since last year, the ministry has established electronic warfare units in garrisons across Japan, but predominantly in Okinawa and the southwestern region of Kyushu. Previously, there was only one unit on Japan's northern main island of Hokkaido.

What's physical location got to do with electronic warfare?

Strengthening capability in the new fields is critical to achieving synergies in combination with conventional domains and to responding appropriately to situations

Off to an incontrovertibly focused, unambiguous start.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

OssanAmerica: "No one I know who has ever been in any military ridicules other men in uniform."

You're right -- the Navy never, EVER ridicules or picks fights with other branches, or MPs, and likewise, Marines never ridicule regular infantry, and they most certainly NEVER do so of another nation's troops!

I do think the blue flags will stand out quite a bit from the camouflage, and if it is just for dress, why wear the uniforms and not the more formal suits for such a show?

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

Yep see that panning out positively. On past attempts. At least they can shoot the screens? That I must say is an improvement over tissues.

-11 ( +6 / -17 )

Every military unit has one genius.

‘Thank you never been called a genius before, I’m flattered.

-12 ( +0 / -12 )

Type 89 rifles by the way. And as an aside having been in the military yes we had a flag draped in battle Honers, but that was for the battalion not for 20 dudes. If every 20 guys got a flag it would look like a junior school sports day.

-13 ( +0 / -13 )

Oh and they have a flag, so cute.

-15 ( +7 / -22 )

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