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Firepower

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People watch a Ground Self-Defense Force training exercise involving an anti-tank weapon at Higashifuji training field near Mount Fuji in Gotemba, on Tuesday afternoon.

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I hate to sound mean, but what is so interesting about watching the Ground Self-Defense Force training exercise in Japan? I know in America, it would be very interesting because you would have a live show with live action. Here in Japan, it is just like watching a coast guard crew in an army uniform.

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Can they stop the Saikyo Line?

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do these "ground self-defense forces" belong to the ministry of peace by any chance?

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As hot as it is today these folks must be desperate for something to do.

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It would be great if they actually blew up a real tank. I'd go see that... maybe.

You can never take the SDF serious. They've had ZERO real combat, so all they do is train. It's like the Boy Scouts.

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Went to that event last year. They indeed made big noise with some of these shooting machines. Two small rockets hit targets, a copter shoots around a bit. Nothing I'd want to sit and wait for hours again, especially in this heat.

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Yeh, as HOT as it is, I can't (a) ever being put in a job where I had to wear a helmet and LONG sleeved uniform, and (b) ever being so bored that this was the ever the best option to kill some time. People get a LIFE please!

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You can never take the SDF serious. They've had ZERO real combat, so all they do is train. It's like the Boy Scouts.

Um, the last time Japan got involved in a real shooting war, the results weren't so good for East Asia, England, or the USA - and in the end, Japan itself. Article 9 was a good idea. Let's hope the SDF never have to do anything more than train.

Does a military have to go around the world waging war to be taken "seriously"?

People get a LIFE please!

Yeah, like sitting in an air conditioned room, hanging around JT and commenting on stories. ;^)

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Japan has some great military hardware(homegrown) and should start selling it overseas.

South Africa did well doing so(granted most of theirs was field tested in Angola/Township uprisings, etc).

SA is the only country that turned the Puma helicopter from rescue to a Gunship too.

Their Rooifalk Helicopters beats the russian Mil 24 Hind both in combat and troop carrying.

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"Went to that event last year. They indeed made big noise with some of these shooting machines. Two small rockets hit targets, a copter shoots around a bit."

They are kind of fun. I have had a chance to ride some vehicles and do and see other things that most people haven't. There are people who really oooh and aaaah at this stuff. I thought it was kind of fun. It is a good thing to show young people. Many of these devices and weapons are not as they appear on TV and it takes a lot of the romance of war and battle and all of that away.

I agree that the heat really would ruin it.

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anti-tank weapons are ideal tools for guerrilla warfare against occupying army's tanks in Japan's dense urban, suburban jungles and mountain pass roads.

I reckon every able bodied men and women ought to be taught how to form independent partisan forces in the event that Japan is ever occupied by a foreign power again but with allies that can be counted on retaking the country.

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Partisans would do a better and cost-effective job defending Japan in the event of foreign invasion than this wannabe Army.

The GSDF in its current state is hardly reliable in mounting an effective ground defence when Japan loses air and sea superiority. It's most likely that the enemy will nuke us before coming ashore.

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"able bodied men and women ought to be taught how to form independent partisan forces in"

shh. They are called chonaikai. Japan's secret weapon. Independent cells of loosely associated citizens, they coordinate action based on word of mouth communications in dialects nobody can understand.

But seriously, I know I am very much in the minority on this topic but I very much doubt any military force in the world could invade and hold Japan for long. Too many mountains, forests, tunnels, bridges, formal and informal communications, vehicles, ports, etc. If Japan went defense-in-depth, there is quite a lot of depth. Just the sheer number of backhoes waiting to be used creatively is daunting. Seriously. And you know that every man over 60 would like nothing better than to be killed in a war defending the country. Look for every crafty old guy in the country to start building bombs and everyone else to look for an enemy to throw it at. RC cars and airplanes? Even junior can join in the fun. WOLVERINES!!

Japan has plenty of secrets and few credible enemies, so I am not worried a bit.

Just want to add that the noise at these SDF affairs is deafening. Coupled with sweltering heat, it would pretty much ruin your day.

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You've sunk my battleship!

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These are no doubt some of the same folks who've swayed Japan's version of Discovery channel to show almost non-stop military and war-related crap. Japan's so-called "History Channel" is going that direction now too. America has long drenched itself in such destructive mindset, with the slowly pervasive militarism of society that goes with it, but must everyone? Sheesh.

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Not into these little shows of military strength or whatever they are but it is nice to see that the military is far less pervasive than in a lot of other countries.

I hope that Japan keeps article. It is rather a beautiful declaration even if how it came about is a little controversial.

Seperatley. Japan seems to be armed to the teeth but all for defensive purposes if you check out how many fighter aircraft, ships, subs etc they have. I would think woe betide anyone who tried to invade this set of islands.

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It's cool !!!! Nice picture JT

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I don´t quite understand the logic of this. Japan is a mountaneous island. Any hostile tanks would first have to get here, at great difficulties. Should it not be the job of these self-defenders to prevent that in the first place?

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You could not drag me out of my cooler basement to see something like that for also in being with crowds of people I would feel the heat even more.

I have had training in anti-tank weapons when in the Reserve Forces & besides the photos on the TV or in different mags with more detial tell you so much more about the various weapons.

I agree that my 45ACP semi-auto 1911 mofided h/gun will NOT take down a tank, but do that weekly & you will feel the kick in the right hand to the elbow & that is all I need.

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Holding a something like that, those people are probably being forced to sit there , shut up and watch.

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