The Defense Agency plans to create a centralized command for the Ground Self-Defense Force and possibly abolish the regional-army system to improve command efficiency, according to agency sources.
The current GSDF formation of five regional armies, each under separate command, is based on Cold War assumptions of land invasions. To cope with the post-Cold War security situation and growing international terrorism, Defense Agency Director General Shigeru Ishiba has instructed officials to study a reformation to ensure mobility and quick response, the sources said.
To make way for the introduction of a costly missile defense system, the agency hopes to cut costs by unifying command within the GSDF and paring back on some conventional equipment.