The is one of nine active divisions of the

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...

. The division is the only

armored Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or f ...

division of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. It is subordinated to the Northern Army and is headquartered in Chitose,

Hokkaidō is Japan, Japan's Japanese archipelago, second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost Prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own List of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; th ...

. Its responsibility is the defense of North Hokkaidō against potential conflicts, mostly from

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

. The division was raised on 15 August 1962 as the 7th Mechanized Division. In 1981 it was merged with the 1st Armor Brigade to become the 7th Armored Division. As of 1987 it consisted of a headquarters, headquarters company, 7 regiments (3 armor, 1 motorized infantry, 1 artillery, 1 air defense artillery and 1 logistical support regiment), and 3 battalions (namely Reconnaissance, Combat Engineer, and Signals). An armor regiment consisted of 5 tank squadrons, each with 15 Type 90 tanks (75 in all). A motorized infantry regiment had 6 motorized infantry companies and 1 mortar company. The artillery regiment contained 4 155-mm self-propelled howitzer battalions (10 guns in each). In all, the armored division had about 6,500 men, 230 tanks, about 350 Type 89 and Type 73 armored personnel carriers, 40 self-propelled howitzers, 48 mortars (81-mm and larger), 12 106-mm recoilless weapons, 40 35- and 40-mm self-propelled air defense systems, along with other armament and support systems, making it the most well-armed Japanese division.

Organization

7th Division consists of a division headquarters, three tank regiments, one mechanized infantry regiment, one mechanized artillery regiment, one air defense regiment, one logistics support regiment and other support and service battalions and companies. In the field, the division task organizes these elements into combined arms "combat teams". For example, attaching an infantry company, artillery battery, air defense battery and service units to a tank regiment to form a Tank Combat Team. * 7th Division, at Camp Higashi Chitose in Chitose ** 7th Division HQ, in Chitose ** 71st Tank Regiment, in Chitose, with four Type 90

Main Battle Tank A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sys ...

, and one

Type 10 The is a fourth generation main battle tank of JSDF produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force, entering service in 2012. Compared with other currently-serving main battle tanks in the JGSDF, the Type ...

Main Battle Tank squadron ** 72nd Tank Regiment, in Eniwa, with five Type 90 Main Battle Tank squadrons ** 73rd Tank Regiment, in Eniwa, with five Type 90 Main Battle Tank squadrons ** 11th Mechanized Infantry Regiment, in Chitose, with three Type 89

Infantry Fighting Vehicle An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV), is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide direct-fire support. The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed F ...

, three Type 73

Armored Personnel Carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Ac ...

, and one Type 96 120mm Self-Propelled Mortar Carrier company ** 7th Artillery Regiment (Mechanized), in Chitose *** 1st Artillery Battalion, with two batteries of Type 99 155mm

Self-propelled howitzers Self-propelled may refer to * Human-powered transport, humans moving themselves (and their cargo) via their own muscle energy * Machines that power their own movement: ** Automobile (from ''auto-'' + ''mobile'', "self-moving") ** Locomotive (from ...

*** 2nd Artillery Battalion, with two batteries of Type 99 155mm Self-propelled howitzers *** 3rd Artillery Battalion, with two batteries of Type 99 155mm Self-propelled howitzers *** 4th Artillery Battalion, with two batteries of Type 99 155mm Self-propelled howitzers ** 7th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment, in Shinhidaka, with two Type 81

Surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...

systems and four Type 87 self-propelled anti-aircraft guns batteries ** 7th Engineer Battalion (Combat), in Chitose ** 7th Signal Battalion, in Chitose ** 7th Reconnaissance Company, in Chitose, with Type 87 armored reconnaissance vehicles ** 7th Aviation Squadron, at Chitose Airport, flying UH-1J and OH-6D helicopters ** 7th NBC Protection Company, in Chitose ** 7th Logistic Support Regiment, in Chitose *** 1st Maintenance Battalion *** 2nd Maintenance Battalion *** Supply Company *** Medical Company *** Transport Company ** 7th Division Band

References

External links

Homepage 7th Division
''(Japanese)'' {{JGSDF Units Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Division Military units and formations established in 1962