[dragoon500ly]

Here is another on the Far East....Japan....the source is the Military Balance series

Population: 119,400,000
Army: 156,000
1 armored division
12 infantry divisions (maintained at 7-9,000 personnel)
2 composite brigades
1 airborne brigade
1 artillery brigade
2 artillery groups
8 SAM groups
5 engineer brigades
1 helicopter brigade (2 bns)
5 helicopter groups (total of 24 sqns/dets)

560 Type 61 MBT
390 Type 74 MBT
425 Type 60 APC
115 Type 73 APC
380 towed 105mm hows
330 towed 155mm and Type 74 and 75 SP hows
70 towed 203mm guns and hows
50 Type 30 SSM
800 81mm mortars
560 107mm mortars
40 Type 75 SP 130mm MRLs
1,400 75mm/Carl Gustav 84mm/105mm RCLs
240 Type 64 ATGM
25 Type 79 ATGM
170 35mm twin, 37mm, 40mm and 75mm AA Guns (some SP)
144 HAWK SAMs
84 IHAWK SAMs
20 LR-1 ac
2 TL-1 ac
10 L-19 ac
2 AH-1S helo
56 KV-107 helo
80 UH-1H helo
65 UH-1B helo
36 TH-55 helo
139 OH-6D/J helo
(on order 84 Type 74 MBT, 9 Type 73 APC, 34 Type 75 155mm, 19 M-110A2 203mm SP, 8 Type 75 SP 130mm MRLs, 9 Type 79 ATGM, 221 Carl Gustav RCL, 49 Stinger, 8 Type 81 SAM, 48 IHAWK, 1 LR-1 ac, 6 OH-6D, 5 UH-1H, 12 AH-1S)
Reserves: 41,000

Navy: 42,000
14 d-e subs (4 Yushio, 7 Uzushio, 3 Asashio)
31 destroyers (2 Shirane, 2 Haruna, 2 Hatsuyuki, 3 Tachikaze, 1 Amatsukaze,
4 Takatsuki, 6 Yamagumo, 3 Minegumo, 3 Murasame, 3 Ayanami)
17 frigates (1 Yubari, 1 Ishikari, 11 Chikugo)
5 large patrol craft
5 FAC(T)
3 MCM support ships
31 coastal minesweepers
6 LST, 2 LSO, 37 LCVP
8 Maritime Recon sqns with 6 P-3C, 58 P-2J, 13 S2F-1, 16 PS-1
6 ASW Helo sqns with 55 HSS-2
1 MCM helo sqn with 7 KV-107
1 tpt sqn with 4 YS-11M, 1 B-65
1 utility sqn with 3 UP-2J
7 SAR flights with 8 US-1 ac; 6 S-61A, 8 S-62B helos
(on order 3 Yushio subs; 1 Hatsuyuki DD; 1 Yubari frigate; 2 MCM ships; 17 P-3C, 2 KM-2, 3 TC-90 ac, 14 HSS-2B, 5 S-61A, 20 H-6D helos)
Reserves: 600

Air Force: 43,000
3 FGA sqns with 56 F-1
1 interceptor sqn with 20 F-15J/DJ
6 interceptor sqns with 112 F-4EJ
3 interceptor sqns with 61 F-104J
1 recon sqn with 12 RF-4EJ
3 tpt sqns with 25 C-1, 6 YS-11
9 SAR detachments with 29 KV-107
10 training sqns with 40 T-1A/B, 59 T-2, 44 T-3, 50 T-33A
19 SAM sqns with 180 Nike-J SAMs
(on order 51 F-15J, 6 F-15DJ, 5 F-1, 4 C-130H, 12 T-2, 6 E-2C AEW)

Japan's basic military policy is to assure its independence and territorial integrity by the maintenance of forces solely for defensive purposes. It maintains a mutual security treaty with the US.

Unique among nations, the Japanese Constitution rejects war or the threat of armed force as instruments of national policy. This viewpoint also reflects the majority of Japanese citizens.

The members of the Japanese Self Defense Forces are considered to be civil servants; there is no separate military legal authority such as is found in the armed forces of practically every other nation in the world. Crimes or offenses committed by Japanese military personnel are tried in civilian courts.

Consistent with its general policy and also reflecting its experience as the only nation to have ever suffered a nuclear attack, Japan refuses to consider the development of nuclear weapons and does not allow the positioning of nuclear weapons on its soil.

Japan' greatest strategic weakness is its lack of material natural resources. Save for coal, Japan is dependent upon imports for all of the raw materials required for its industry. During the oil embargo of 1973, Japan was hard hit (42% of its oil comes from the Middle East) and the steep rise in oil prices threatens Japan's economic position. Japan is particularly concerned about maintaining a friendly situation in South Korea and is uneasy about the possibility that US troops will be withdrawn.

Another vulnerability is the concentration of the Japanese population and its industry, this concentration was a major factor in the US strategic bombing of Japan during WWII. The Japanese heartland is within easy range of air and missile bases in Siberia, North Korea and Red China, to say nothing of missile submarines.

Japan's only foreign alliance is its Treat of Mutual Cooperation and Security with the US. This treaty provides for military assistance as well as the maintenance of a number of bases that were originally established in the post-WWII era. In 1970, Japan announced its intention to continue the treaty in force indefinitely.