GSDF troops begin nationwide drills for 1st time in 30 years

Blow out the cobwebs and see where improvement is needed. Smart periodic exercise to do.

Chatter in certain military circles that it's about to kick off around Taiwan.

30 years LOL WTF do I pay my taxes for???

Chatter in certain military circles that it's about to kick off around Taiwan.

Which makes absolutely no sense with the upcoming Olympics! China wants the world to come, and "kicking something off around Taiwan" would be contrary to their goals of holding a successful Olympics.

I wonder EXACTLY what "military circles" you "heard" this rumor?

Let me guess, some online conspiracy forum where everyone throws out "chatter"?

@Yubaru

No actually the U.S militarily's top general are increasingly worried about it..

Check the news .

top generals

Interesting that no one questions China's intent to invade Taiwan. Just a matter of exactly when.

People might be wondering why so long between exercises. It obviously required many meetings to plan it. Multiple meetings to decide the date. Meetings to decide the location. Meetings to decide when and where they were going to announce it. Meetings to decide on the poster. Meetings to decide on the mascot. They may have even had some meetings on the military stuff, itself. But, only after all that other very important stuff was discussed first.

@Yubaru Sorry, but most people including me surely think that China is far more interested in Taiwan than in those unimportant Olympic events. lol

Reckless:

Umm, do they know something we don't know?

Perhaps due to a coming Japanese election to choose new PM?

Even it is a transition time, it does not mean Japan is not ready, etc.

Full timers work the military for about twenty years? In Japan forty to get that full pension.

Imagine during your whole career you did not ever get off the bench to even practice?

People might be wondering why so long between exercises.

Probably because exercises on such a scale cost a lot of money and afterwards require a lot of maintenance and preservation work on vehicles and other equipment, especially if equipment is removed from deep storage for the exercise and has to be returned to storage.

Imagine during your whole career you did not ever get off the bench to even practice?

My experiences with the JMSDF are they are very well trained. Maybe they don't sortie the whole fleet at once for a grand exercise but individual units and task groups train frequently with allied navies and are very competent. Same with the GSDF and ASDF.

If war starts, all these are not needed. Remember, the world is into nuclear power and A.I ???. it is much wiser not to provoke.

If war starts, all these are not needed. Remember, the world is into nuclear power and A.I ???. it is much wiser not to provoke.

Timidity in the face of aggression invites a war. Are you aware of this?

https://maritime-executive.com/article/ccp-outlet-calls-for-economic-blockade-of-taiwan

"In order to respond effectively to various situations, including attacks on the islands, it is essential that the necessary forces are deployed quickly and extensively, depending on the situation," Japan's Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi has said on the drills.

Absolutely correct. And with the knowledge that American generals now are talking to Chinese generals behind the back of the civilian government, it is even more important that Japan takes its own precautions.

Larr Flint

If China invades Taiwan or Japan the US will not use nuclear power as this would trigger same response from China.

Rather than an outright invasion, you can expect increasing harrassment leading to a naval blockade. And it is absolutely not sure that the incompetend current US administration with its corrupt generals would do anything about that. So I certainly hope Japan does.

I see now how much Japan trusts America today

A total of 12,000 personnel and 3,900 vehicles from two GSDF divisions based on the northernmost main island of Hokkaido and in the Tohoku region of northeastern Japan as well as a brigade in western Japan's Shikoku region will start an expeditionary mission to the Kyushu region in southwestern Japan next week.

During the Cold War, under guidance from the US, Japan concentrated armored brigades and heavy artillery regiments toward the north, to defend against possible aggression from crazy Ivan.

Now the main threat has shifted to the southwest and this looks to be a rapid deployment readiness exercise along those lines.

Over the past decade, Japan has adopted a more mobile “tactical dispersion” of troops. However these mass concentration of force exercises are necessary, even if only for the purpose of maintaining the capability to do so.

I doubt very much that China will ever start any war, they never did and never will!!! just my opinion, but if provoked then watch out just like any other super power.

Let us hope that day will never come, failure to communicate is the cause of most conflicts, it is cheaper and easier to negotiate a solution rather than fight.

I doubt very much that China will ever start any war, they never did and never will!!! just my opinion, but if provoked then watch out just like any other super power.

Tell that to Vietnam. China initiated two wars against them, a land war in 1979 they lost and a naval war in the mid 1980s where they prevailed and took some Vietnamese islands. There is also the little matter of China's massive intervention in the Korean War.

MarkSep. 16  10:11 am JST

I doubt very much that China will ever start any war, they never did and never will!!! just my opinion, but if provoked then watch out just like any other super power.

Wrong. China has started wars. And today China is the country provoking everyone else.