Royal Marines and Japan’s Amphibious Force: A Match Made in Heaven?

Grant Newsham

Security, Asia

Any why China should take notice.

In late August, the Japan Ground Self Defense Force (GSDF) put on its annual Fuji Firepower Demonstration at a training area near Mt. Fuji. It’s a choreographed display of GSDF weaponry with lots of shooting and explosions and draws thousands of spectators. But there’s a Potemkin aspect to it all, suggesting a more capable JSDF than exists.

However, a few days earlier and not far away at a smaller training site on the beach at Numazu, something more critical for the GSDF (and JSDF) almost happened.

Troops from Britain’s Royal Marines and the GSDF’s newly activated amphibious brigade (ARDB) were primed to conduct a joint landing exercise—coming ashore from the HMS Albion and the Japanese Navy’s JS Shimokita. Unfortunately, the exercise was canceled owing to a passing typhoon—though all preparatory work was done.

This near-miss at Numazu was significant—it was the first time foreign ground troops, other than Americans, were to train in Japan. And there was no public or political opposition, to the extent anyone even noticed. Prime Minister Abe has had some success pulling Japan's defense ‘back to the center' and changing public thinking.

A joint landing with British forces and a combined GSDF/MSDF amphibious team was unthinkable not many years ago—even if the planned landing exercise was a modest affair involving a small number of troops landing in rubber boats and a landing craft, with a Japanese Navy LCAC (hovercraft) making an appearance.

The HMS Albion’s visit to Japan (along with a 120-man company sized Royal Marine detachment) was part of a 10-month cruise out and back from the United Kingdom. The JSDF has worked closely with the U.S. Marines and U.S. Navy to develop its amphibious force, so the British infused some ‘fresh blood’—as they have a somewhat different approach to amphibious operations than the Americans.