Japanese Media: Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force Plans to Integrate Division-Level Combat Systems to Strengthen Island Defense

Reference News Network reported on November 4 According to the Nikkei on November 4, the Ground Self-Defense Force plans to integrate a system capable of commanding missile and artillery launches at the division level as early as the fiscal year 2030. This initiative aims to execute tasks such as island defense by quickly grasping the opponent's location and efficiently issuing commands to repel the adversary.

In the budget request for the fiscal year 2027, the Japanese Ministry of Defense included related expenses exceeding 17.9 billion yen (approximately 114 million USD). This integration project will be led by Fujitsu, unifying previously independent combat systems such as air defense missiles, anti-ship missiles, and artillery. The Ground Self-Defense Force's divisions are expected to begin using the system as early as the fiscal year 2030.

Reports indicate that in defense operations on islands and other locations, there will likely be coordinated attacks from opposing tanks, infantry, as well as aircraft and missiles. Therefore, it is essential to rapidly and synchronously process enemy intelligence information obtained from frontline reconnaissance units, radar, and other sources.

Currently, the systems used by the Ground Self-Defense Force include a command and control system manufactured by Fujitsu, an air defense system produced by Mitsubishi Electric, and a firepower strike system managed by Toshiba.

The report points out that since these systems are not interconnected, senior officials from the Ground Self-Defense Force revealed that during decision-making, commanders often need to view information on multiple screens simultaneously. This limits the speed at which division headquarters can analyze intelligence, make judgments, and issue response commands to frontline units.

The new system will consolidate enemy intelligence information from land, sea, and air domains and present it on a single screen map. Whether it is vessels approaching the islands, enemy troops that have landed, or missiles launched by the adversary, their locations will be displayed in real-time overview format.

At the same time, the system will also display the current deployment positions of various Ground Self-Defense Force units. For example, when opposing forces approach, the system can assist commanders in more easily determining which unit to dispatch in response, thereby achieving efficient handling. Additionally, when facing enemy missiles, it can also facilitate quicker decisions on which type of interceptor missile to use.

Reports state that the new system will also help conserve the limited ammunition and missiles available. Particularly in island areas, the reserves and resupply capabilities for ammunition are already limited.

The system does not include functions for direct decision-making by artificial intelligence (AI), but focuses on collecting information and visualizing the battlefield situation. Decisions on specific missile launch targets will still be made by frontline personnel. (Translated by Liu Lin)