1. JSDF’s logistics capability
—lessons learned from the 3-11 —
16 Mar 2012
COL Naoyuki Taura

2. Agenda
1 Background
2 Overview of Great Earthquake East Japan
3 Overview of “TOMDACHI” Operation
4 Lessons learn from Great Earthquake East Japan D/R
5 Way to go
This presentation is my opinion. It does not reflect the views of the Stimson Center,
nor does it represent the views of the Ground Self-Defense Force.

3. Background
• Working at G4 in Ground Staff Office, I have
always faced challenges with this topic.
• Experience of the disaster relief (DR)
operation in the Great Eastern Japan
• Facing a challenge of how to ensure the
survival of the domestic defense industrial
base when the defense budget is being cut.

4. SDF response in Great Eastern Japan Earthquake
Northern Army
Personnel 2,800
Total Strength 105,800
× × Aircraft 39
GSDF Component 70,000
7 (-)
MSDF Component 14,200
×
ASDF Component 21,600 (-)
11 Northeastern Army(JTF)
× × Personnel 45,000
ASDF Component Aircraft 67
×
Ｃ－１
Ｃ－１ Ｃ－１３０Ｈ
Ｃ－１３０Ｈ
１３０
Eastern Army
Supply Trans. MSDF Component
Personnel 3,800
× × Aircraft 39
3 (-) × ×
1 (-)
Supply Trans. Central Readiness Force
(-) Personnel 900
×
(-) × × Aircraft 24
15
8 (-)
Aviation School
Aircraft 51
Western Army Middle Army GSO, Other units &
Personnel 3,100 Personnel 3,500 Schools
Aircraft 41 Aircraft 34 Personnel 10,900

5. Operation Tomodachi
<MAX>
20,000 personnel,20 warships,140 aircrafts
US LSD sea-lifted
JGSDF 5th Bde
USMC in Okinawa
U.S. Navy
US C-17 air-lifted
USMC 5
JGSDF 15th Bde U.S. Army

6. Lessons Learned

7. Lessons Learned from GEJE
JTF organized for the
first time
Challenge in
transportation
Difficulty in bilateral
operation
Challenges in logistics

8. JTF Organization
Minister of Defense
Chief of Staff,
Joint Staff
Nuclear Disaster Relief OPS Joint Task Force
Commander ,CRF Commander,
*CRF: Central Readiness Force
Northeastern Army
Units Land Component
(Commander, Northeast
Army)
Maritime Component
(Commander Yokosuka
district)
Air Component
(Commander, Air
Defense Command) 8
8

9. Challenges in Transportation
Delay in starting transport
coordination center.
Prioritization
Lack of maritime
transport.
Lack of transport
capability.

10. Difficulty in Bilateral Operations
Reinforcement of Framework for Japan – U.S. Coordination
Prime Minister
Ichigaya Coordination Center
CCS Minister for Defense Relevant Minister
CS
(National Security Internal Bureau Relevant Ministries
And
And Agencies
MG Oue Crisis Management) Brig Gen
MG Isobe
Crowe
(JSO)
(USFJ)
Ichigaya Yokota
JSO JSF-
JSF-J
Bilateral Bilateral
Coordination Center Coordination Center
Sendai Coordination Center Yokota Coordination Center
Sendai
Col Timberlake
JTF-
JTF-Tohoku
(ⅢMEF) Bilateral
COL Hiroe MG Bansho ADM Walsh
↓ Coordination Center
(GSO) COL Agena (GSO) (PACFLT)
(USARJ)
※ CCS＝Chief of Cabinet Secretary

11. Challenges in Logistics
Commercial vendors/JSDF
competed for relief supplies
Two missions
Destruction of the local
government

12. The Way Forward

13. The Way Forward
Enhance Jointness
Improve transport
capability
Tighten bilateral
coordination
Improve logistic
capability
Importance of defense
industrial base

14. Enhance Jointness
Japan’s Goldwater-
Nichols?
Enforcement of jointness
critical
Joint Staff Office needs
personnel and budget

15. Improve Transportation Ability
× ×
Ｃ－１３０Ｈ
Ｃ－１３０Ｈ
１３０ ×
Ｃ－１
Ｃ－１
(-)

16. Use of Commercial Transportation

17. Tighten Bilateral Coordination
Update the framework of
BCAT
Improve mutual
understanding
More training and
exercise

18. Improve logistic capability
Government should
prioritize control
Log COM-like
organization necessary?
Enhance mutual support

19. Defense Budget Trends
defense budget
Amount of contract and maintenance (billion) (billion)
550
Amount of contract (billion) Amount of maintenance (billion)
defense budget 450
Reverse
350
250
150
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009

20. Challenges
Participation in joint
development
Relax export control ban
M&A

21. Questions?