Japan's Self-Defense Forces to Deploy Maneuver Combat Vehicles to Okinawa for the First Time

▲ Type 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle (MCV) (File Photo)

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force is set to deploy the heavily armed Type 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle (MCV) to a base in Okinawa for the first time this month, with contingencies such as a potential crisis in Taiwan in mind.

With tensions between China and Japan remaining deadlocked following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's hardline remarks regarding a potential Taiwan contingency last November, observers note that this move by the Self-Defense Forces could spark additional tension in bilateral relations.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun on November 2, the Japanese government plans to deploy the MCV to the Naha garrison in line with the upgrade and reorganization of the Ground Self-Defense Force's 15th Brigade, stationed in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, into a division this year.

Unlike tracked tanks, the MCV is a wheeled combat vehicle that runs on tires.

Equipped with a 105mm gun and capable of traveling at speeds of about 100 kilometers per hour, it can be rapidly deployed to remote island regions.

The Japanese government regards it as a core piece of equipment for defending the Nansei Islands to deter enemy landings or invasions.

This marks the first time the vehicles will be permanently deployed to the Nansei Islands in Japan's southwestern extremity.

Through its upgrade to a division, the 15th Brigade's troop size will expand from the existing 2,300 to 3,900 personnel.

The reorganization will reinforce infantry units, place the Miyako and Yaeyama security units under its command, and establish a new reconnaissance combat unit to operate the MCVs.

The government also plans to deploy high-protection Armored Modular Vehicles (AMVs) to the main island of Okinawa and the Sakishima Islands for the first time, with some vehicles already having been brought into the Naha garrison.

(Photo: Getty Images)

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