Japan may deploy new marine force to counter China

(Baonghean.vn)- According to the Asahi Shimbun, Japan's future amphibious assault force, currently being trained with the help of the US Marine Corps, may be deployed with the US at the Okinawa military base (Japan).

The force is being deployed to bolster Japan's capabilities amid a dispute between Tokyo and Beijing over disputed islands.

The new amphibious assault brigade will be part of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), the equivalent of the US Army, with an initial strength of around 2,100. Once it is expected to be established in March 2018, the brigade will initially be based at Camp Ainoura in Nagasaki Prefecture.

The new amphibious assault brigade will be part of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. Photo: AP

However, some Japanese officials are discussing the possibility of some Marines being stationed at Camp Hansen on Okinawa island, where US troops are stationed.

According to the plan, around the 2020s, about 600 Japanese soldiers will replace some US soldiers who will be stationed on Guam island in the Pacific Ocean.

In the case of Japanese marines stationed in Okinawa, it would bring them closer to the islands in the East China Sea, known as Senkaku in Tokyo and Diaoyu in Beijing. The Senkaku/Diaoyu chain is at the center of a long-standing dispute between Japan and China, and a potential target for Tokyo to deploy an amphibious assault force./.

Lan Ha

(According to RT)