The Defense Ministry plans to slash its tank forces by more than half and redeploy the remaining vehicles to Hokkaido and Kyushu to meet the realities of the post-Cold War world, sources said.
The number of Ground Self-Defense Force tanks will be reduced from the current 741 to 300 within 10 years, they said.
The proposal to reduce tank numbers will be included in the new National Defense Program Guidelines, the government's basic 10-year plan for defense and national security, scheduled for completion in mid-December.
During the Cold War, the Self-Defense Forces put top priority on preventing an invasion by the Soviet Union with its large armored units. The Defense Ministry plans to shift its emphasis from the defense of the mainland to the protection of remote islands, with China's growing naval capabilities in mind.
After all tank regiments are withdrawn from Honshu, the SDF will deploy high-speed, highly maneuverable, lightweight armored vehicles to Honshu in their place.
Source: NewsOnJapan
