Logistics in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force

Army Logistician, Nov-Dec, 2003 by Masahiro Fukuda, Robert O. Bosworth

One JGSDF initiative to minimize logistics costs without sacrificing readiness was the realignment and restructuring of its depot system. The former system included 10 depots: 5 central depots for quartermaster, ordnance, engineer, signal, and medical support and 5 regional army depots. The restructured JGSDF depot system has five depots, one aligned with each regional army. The five former central depots were reorganized under the Kanto Depot at Kasumigaura Station, Honshu, which is aligned with the Eastern Army. Kanto Depot also serves as a central depot and provides backup support to the other depots.

Each depot provides maintenance support and supply support to its associated regional army. Depot maintenance support includes special technical inspections of electro-optical equipment (components and systems with associated electronics for optical modulation and optical scanning systems), communications equipment, radar systems, and missile systems and overhaul of engineer equipment, main battle tanks, helicopters, field artillery systems, and wheeled vehicles. Servicing of parachutes, oversight of ammunition storage sites and bulk petroleum storage facilities, and receipt, storage, and distribution of supplies are included in supply support.

Regional Army Logistics Support Unit

Realignment of logistics support at the regional army and division levels is designed to reduce the JGSDF logistics footprint. Support at the regional army level previously included a separate ordnance battalion with maintenance personnel, a transportation unit with supply and maintenance personnel, and other units with supply and maintenance personnel for supporting the regional army's elements.

Today, each regional army relies on its logistics support unit for supply, field service, maintenance, and transportation support. Support battalions are aligned in a direct support role with each field artillery, engineer, signal, and air defense artillery brigade of the regional army. A general support battalion with up to three maintenance and supply companies supports other army elements, including general service units and prefectural liaison offices. (Japan is divided into 47 administrative divisions called "prefectures.")

The logistics support unit's transportation unit, formerly a table of organization and equipment unit, is now a table of distribution and allowances unit. The number of trucks in a regional army transportation unit is based on the number of units supported. The transportation units of the Northern and Eastern Armies have three truck companies. The Northeast, Middle, and Western Armies have transportation units with one truck company each. In general, the transportation units are authorized 36 type-74 cargo/troop transport trucks, each with 10.5-ton capacity, per truck company.

Logistics Support Regiment

Each division within a regional army receives logistics support from its organic logistics support regiment. The regiment's structure is based on the type of division it supports. The typical structure of a logistics support regiment includes a headquarters and headquarters company (HHC), a supply unit, a transportation unit, a medical unit, a type A maintenance battalion, and a type B maintenance battalion.