I worried that Japan's plans to react to a Chinese attempt to seize Japanese islands by moving to the islands faster than China could take them was a mistake.
Apparently, Japan agrees:
Officials at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the JGSDF confirmed to IHS Jane's on 21 May that it is considering setting up new GSDF bases to house QRF troops on Amami Oshima island in Kagoshima Prefecture and on the islands of Miyakojima and Ishigakijima, which are both located in Okinawa Prefecture. The plans were first reported in The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper.
The JGSDF units would be responsible for taking the lead in defending surrounding islands, including uninhabited islands. "We have not decided where to set up those security forces yet," a JGSDF official said. "We may create new security forces on some or all of those islands."
These quick reaction force (QRF) troops are separate from the marine unit the Japanese will establish to retake islands from the Chinese.
Now just send in the robots to hold the line at the uninhabited islands until the QRF can arrive.
And right behind Japan, our forces can help, of course. We will retain a sizable presence on Okinawa even after moving Marines to Guam.
