GSDF holds home defense drill in Hokkaido, largest in 24 yrs

BETSUKAI, Japan, Oct. 27 Kyodo - Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force held its largest homeland defense drill in
nearly a quarter of a century Monday in Hokkaido, mobilizing around 3,000
personnel and using about 2,000 dugouts and trenches on a hilly site to hide
personnel, tanks and control posts.
The drill in the Yausubetsu Maneuver Area on the nation's northernmost main
island came as Japan is closely watching the Russian military, which has been
active around Japan and elsewhere, as well as the continued buildup of the
Chinese military in recent years.
Participating GSDF personnel engaged in operations such as moving tanks, hiding
them in dugouts and communicating to each other between dugouts on the mock
battlefield, where they were trying to hide from ''the enemy.''
The GSDF also showed the press facilities set up in dugouts such as control
posts, field hospitals and a logistical center as well as mock battles
involving camouflaged personnel in trenches in the drill, which was conducted
by the force's 5th Brigade.
GSDF Chief of Staff Gen. Ryoichi Oriki said the drill was fundamental to
Japan's defense-oriented policy and aimed at making GSDF personnel aware of its
importance. It is the first time since 1984 that the GSDF has held such a
drill, according to the GSDF.
Oriki said he hoped the drill would help the GSDF to brace for possible future
operations outside Japan following the 2004-2006 dispatch to Iraq.
A recent change in the GSDF's policy on drills was also behind the exercise,
GSDF spokesman Col. Kimihiko Kishikawa said.
''We did not hold such a traditional drill for a long time as we were faced
with many new tasks such as international cooperation and operations against
possible guerrilla commando attacks in the recent past,'' Kishikawa said.
''We tended to focus too much on new kinds of drills trying to deal with such
matters,'' Kishikawa said.
But the GSDF realized that the expertise gained in traditional hole-digging
exercises for defensive purposes could be applied to various kinds of future
overseas activities, Kishikawa said, denying that the force had in mind any
particular country as a potential enemy in the drill.
==Kyodo