The is an
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
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 ...
, being stationed at
Camp Utsunomiya near the
Utsunomiya Air Field
is a military aerodrome of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force . It is located south of Utsunomiya in the Tochigi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Tochigi Prefecture has a population of 1,94 ...
(Camp Kita-Utsunomiya), as it is intended to be ready for
rapid deployment
A rapid deployment force is a military formation that is capable of fast deployment. Such forces typically consist of elite military units (special forces, paratroopers, marines
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force tra ...
both in Japan and abroad.
History
The regiment was established in August 2006.
The first regimental commander, Colonel Yamamoto, was appointed in 2007 with the formation of the regiment was complete by March 2008.
[
In 2009, a detachment selected from the regiment was sent to Djibouti to participate in an anti-piracy operation as a security force at the ]air base
An air base (sometimes referred to as a military air base, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base) is an aerodrome used as a military base by a military force for the operation ...
.[ Since then, the regiment has been deployed on a number of missions outside of Japan, including a humanitarian assistance mission for the ]2010 Haiti earthquake
A disaster, catastrophic Moment magnitude scale, magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest (department), Ouest department, a ...
and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is a United Nations peacekeeping mission for South Sudan, which became independent on 9 July 2011. UNMISS was established on 8 July 2011 by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1996 (201 ...
.[
]
Organization and Equipment
The regiment was established as a unique infantry regiment of the Central Readiness Force
The was established on March 28, 2007, following the upgrading of the Japanese Defense Ministry from the former Japanese Defense Agency. It was initially based at Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) Camp Asaka in Nerima, Tokyo.
The command su ...
. Unlike the 1st Airborne Brigade being a unique airborne force
Airborne forces, airborne troops, or airborne infantry are ground combat units carried by aircraft and airdropped into battle zones, typically by parachute drop or air assault. Parachute-qualified infantry and support personnel serving in air ...
, the regiment has adopted a table of organization and equipment
A table of organization and equipment (TOE or TO&E) is the specified organization, staffing, and equipment of Military unit, units. Also used in acronyms as 'T/O' and 'T/E'. It also provides information on the mission and capabilities of a unit as ...
similar to that of an infantry regiment with three rifle companies
A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...
. However, it has developed specialized organization of its own for special missions, including a military engineering
Military engineering is loosely defined as the art, science, and practice of designing and building military works and maintaining lines of military transport and military communications. Military engineers are also responsible for logistics be ...
company being established in 2017 and an explosive ordnance disposal
Bomb disposal is an explosives engineering profession using the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe. ''Bomb disposal'' is an all-encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the militar ...
team in 2019. All of the soldiers in this regiment have volunteered to be transferred, and many are qualified as paratrooper
A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during World ...
or ranger
A Ranger is typically someone in a military/paramilitary or law enforcement role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called “ranging”. The term most often refers to:
* Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with protecting and ...
.
The regiment is equipped with armoured fighting vehicle
An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked. Examples of AFVs are tanks, armoured car ...
s similar to other infantry regiments, including Komatsu LAV
The is a Japanese military vehicle first produced in 2002. Currently used exclusively by the Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF), it has seen use in the Iraq War. It is built by Komatsu Ltd. Defense Systems Division in Komatsu, Ishikawa, Japan. Koma ...
and Type 96 Armored Personnel Carrier
The is an armoured vehicle that entered service with Japan in 1996. This vehicle complements the existing fleet of tracked Type 73 Armored Personnel Carriers already in service.
Description
The driver sits on the right side of the vehicle wit ...
. In addition, the regiment also is equipped with unique equipment to prepare for military operations other than war
Military operations other than war (MOOTW) focus on deterring war, resolving conflict, promoting peace, and supporting civil authorities in response to domestic crises. The phrase and acronym were coined by the United States military during the ...
overseas, such as Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle
}
The Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle or Infantry Mobility Vehicle is an Australian-built four-wheel drive armoured vehicle. The Bushmaster was primarily designed by the then government-owned Australian Defence Industries (ADI), and is cur ...
s for non-combatant evacuation operations and Long-range acoustic devices as non-lethal weapon
Non-lethal weapons, also called nonlethal weapons, less-lethal weapons, less-than-lethal weapons, non-deadly weapons, compliance weapons, or pain-inducing weapons are weapons intended to be less likely to kill a living target than conventional ...
s.
In August 25, 2019, an IHI Aerospace
, formerly known as , is a Japanese engineering corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan that produces and offers ships, space launch vehicles, aircraft engines, marine diesel engines, gas turbines, gas engines, railway systems, turbochargers f ...
-made unmanned ground vehicle
An unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) is a vehicle that operates while in contact with the ground and without an onboard human presence. UGVs can be used for many applications where it may be inconvenient, dangerous, or impossible to have a human op ...
was deployed at the 2019 Fuji Firepower demonstration for explosive ordnance disposal missions.Cobra Gold
Cobra Gold refers to multi-national Indo-Pacific military exercises held in Thailand. They are among the largest annual exercises of their kind.
Overview
Cobra Gold was first held in 1982 and has improved coordination between the armed forces ...
exercise
File:JGSDF Type82 Command Communication Vehicle 20120408-02.JPG, Type 82 Command Communication Vehicle with a Rising Sun Flag
The is a Japanese flag that consists of a red disc and sixteen red rays emanating from the disc. Like the Japanese national flag, the Rising Sun Flag symbolizes the sun.
The flag was originally used by feudal warlords in Japan during the Ed ...
File:JGSDF Type96 APC 20120408-03.JPG, CRR soldiers rushing from a Type 96 APC
References
Books
*
*
External links
Central Readiness Regiment Official Webpage
{{JGSDF Units
Infantry regiments
Military units and formations established in 2008
2008 establishments in Japan