By Zhang Pengfei and Li Chao

According to reports, the Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) plans to establish a new joint force in March 2025, initially named the Self-Defense Force Maritime Transport Group, which will be mainly deployed to transport troops and supplies to the southwestern islands. In recent years, Japan has continuously strengthened its military power on the southwestern islands. Regional countries should stay highly vigilant against Japan's moves of gradual military expansion and war preparations to stir up regional tensions.

Japan has planned to establish the Maritime Transport Group for a long time. As early as December 2018, the Japanese government released the Medium Term Defense Program (MTDP), which included the plan in key development projects. In May 2021, the Japanese Ministry of Defense further clarified that the Maritime Transport Group is an all-purpose force for land, sea, and air self-defense, but it will be led by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF). The following years witnessed the Japanese government allocate special funds from its defense budgets to promote the procurement of relevant equipment in batches. In 2021, the JGSDF compiled a shipbuilding budget for the first time, including the purchase of one medium-sized and several small transport ships. In August 2023, the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced its budget application for fiscal year 2024, which officially included the plan to establish a maritime transport group in March 2025.

The Maritime Transport Group will be initially located at the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) base in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture. The Japanese Ministry of Defense also plans to build a new dock on Amami Oshima in Kagoshima Prefecture for the JSDF to dock large ships. Transport ships of the Maritime Transport Group may also be deployed there in the future.

The main purpose of Japan's establishment of the maritime transport group is to address the restricted personnel and equipment transport capacity of the small islands in the southwest. Most of the islands southwest of Japan lack deep-water port facilities, making it impractical for large transport ships to dock. Additionally, these islands have relatively small bases and lack suitable airports for large transport aircraft to take off and land, nor do they have the capacity to store large quantities of ammunition and supplies. To address these challenges, the Maritime Transport Group led by the JGSDF will be equipped with three different types of transport vessels. Among them, the medium-sized transport vessel with a carrying capacity of over a thousand tons will undertake long-distance transport tasks between Japan's mainland and its southwestern islands. The small transport vessels with a carrying capacity of several hundred tons can enter shallow-water island ports for close-range transport operations. The motorboats will be primarily used to load and unload cargo and transfer cargos in areas where transport vessels find it difficult to access.

The establishment of the Maritime Transport Group reflects Japan's efforts to cater to the needs of the US and continuously strengthen its ties with the US. Japan's formation of the Maritime Transport Group and other forces, along with its ongoing efforts to enhance military capabilities in the southwest, aims to strengthen the weak links of the dispersed deployment of the US military in the second island chain and to enhance the integration of resources and joint operational capabilities between the JSDF and the US troops stationed in Japan. According to reports, besides undertaking combat missions such as force projection and material supply, the Maritime Transport Group will also be assigned to tackle various emergencies, highlighting Japan's proactive role as a daring vanguard in major power confrontations.

Japan is accelerating its efforts to shift its defense focus from the northeast to the southwest. It has deployed regular guard and surveillance units to islands such as Amami Oshima, Miyako, Ishigaki, and Yonaguni, and equipped them with Type 03 medium-range surface-to-air missiles and Type 12 anti-ship missiles, forming a closely interconnected defense network centered around Okinawa Island, with coordinated deployments in the north and south. Japan's attempt to promote permanent and systematic military buildup in the southwest aims to achieve its ambition of becoming a military power, which poses a serious threat to regional peace and stability.