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Japan mulls 30% cut in number of tanks, artillery
The Japanese government is considering a cut of about 30 per cent in the number of tanks and artillery, while boosting ground forces personnel by more than 5,000, a news report said on Tuesday. No mention of special forces, but that would be nice. In the new framework of the National Defence Programme Outline, the government is also considering dispensing with the guideline under which Japan possesses the minimum necessary defence capability, Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said, citing a government source. Japan currently has about 1,480,000 ground troops, and "we are trying to adjust the number so that we can effectively deal with new types of security concerns," an army spokesman said, without commenting directly on the Yomiuri report. Since its establishment in 1954, the military has been organised and equipped primarily to counter the threat of Soviet invasion. The official said the Ground Self Defence Force, as the army is officially termed, has about 1,080 tanks along with 900 artillery pieces. Under the new defence framework, those would be cut to about 600 to 650 each, the Yomiuri said. International co-operative tasks, such as UN peacekeeping operations, This is AFP, so I guess they inserted the UN bit will be promoted from incidental duties of Japanese soldiers to their primary duties under the new framework, the Yomiuri said. Makes sense! Japan is hardly ideal tank country. Posted by: phil_b 2004-01-06 |
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