Recently, the U.S. Marine Corps reshuffled their familiar face in Okinawa, Japan, the 12th Regiment into a brand new unit called the 12th Marine Corps Offshore Combat Group, which is no joke, as they have become a special forces force ready to act quickly like cunning hunters in the event of a conflict on the outlying islands. Now, let's take a look at how this new change will affect the "Indo-Pacific waters" near Okinawa
Let's start with the ins and outs of this new team.
In November, the U.S. Marine Corps held a grand ceremony at Camp Hansen in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, to celebrate the official debut of their 12th Marine Corps Offshore Combat Group. Their leader, Peter Ertrienham, said: "We are fully prepared for a new challenge. This new team represents a major leap forward in our responsibilities and capabilities. "The U.S. side intends to build such a team in three places, and this is their second batch after the construction began in Hawaii in March last year. It seems that they are very confident and feel that they are a trump card on the "first island chain"!
The U.S. Marine Corps is increasingly looking forward to this resistance in the Indo-Pacific waters, like watching at the enemy's door, and often reporting if it sees an enemy situation. The U.S. Marine Corps will also establish bases for ship attacks and missile defense at the same time, acting as protectors of others, providing necessary support for the operations of the U.S. Navy and Air Force.
They also have to deploy troops on the most advanced islands, constantly observe the movements of the other side, so as to report in time, they want not only to know the enemy's movements, but also to solve the problem on the most advanced islands. In this process, the "12th Marine Corps Coastal Combat Group" plays a key role.
The reasons for the strengthening of the military presence in Okinawa are widely discussed. Based on historical background and geopolitical considerations, some believe that this is necessary for the United States to maintain its military presence in the Western Pacific. During the Cold War, Okinawa was an important U.S. military base against the Soviet Union.
After the end of the Cold War, the military importance of the base declined, but the US military never gave up its military presence in Okinawa and conducted a series of training and military exercises there.
The other view is interpreted from the perspective of US military strategy.
They believe that Okinawa is located in the south of Japan and is an important sea passage between Japan and the Asian continent, and that a strengthened military presence in Okinawa will allow for better control of the sea and air dynamics in the western Pacific region.
In addition, Okinawa's geographical location makes it an important springboard for the US military in the western Pacific region, which is convenient for the US military to deploy and mobilize in the Asia-Pacific region.
In addition, there is also a view that the United States is strengthening its military presence in Okinawa in order to prevent Japan from getting closer to China.
In recent years, Japan's policy toward China has tended to be friendly, and cooperation with China in the fields of investment and investment has been continuously strengthened. The move could touch a sensitive nerve in the United States, which sees China as its potential rival in the region.
In the face of these new challenges and pressures, the United States has also begun to act.
They plan to build three such Marine Corps Offshore Combat Brigades, and this is their second batch, which began in Hawaii in March last year.
Just on the 15th of last month,"12th Marine Corps Offshore Combat Brigade"The inauguration ceremony was successfully held at their brood, Camp Hansen (located in Okinawa Prefecture). This is no small matter, as it indicates that Okinawa's naval and army regiments may soon have the full set of capabilities needed to carry out rapid deployment missions by the end of 2025. The size of the force was about 2,000, which was about the same as before, except that they cut some of the existing large ground warfare equipment, such as 155mm howitzers and high-mobility multiple launch rocket systems (HIMARS), and repurchased the Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interception System (NMESIS) and low-altitude air defense systems to enhance their mobility. The new team will be divided into small groups and run around the islands like thieves, both dodging enemy attacks and preventing them from breaking in. According to their settings, the new team may even work together with the MQ-9 drones at the U.S. Air Force Kadena base!
Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force is also moving in a tight southwestward direction.
First of all, branches were set up on Yonaguni Island, Miyako Island, Amami Oshima Island, and Ishigaki Island, and a number of anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile units were deployed. Then the 15th Brigade of the Ground Self-Defense Force in Okinawa is also planned to be promoted to a division by the end of 2027, so that they can better defend the island and take care of the lives of the residents. The main responsibility of the Ground Self-Defense Force in the southwest region is to protect the islands and the people living thereHowever, the new team will have to assist the U.S. Navy and Air Force in their struggle for control of the ocean and air, and although their goals are different, the cooperation between the two is really tacit, like fish and water.
The Self-Defense Forces have significantly accelerated the pace of introducing counterattack capabilities. The most notable of these are the improved Type 12 surface-to-ship missile and the 1,600 km/h U.S.-made Tomahawk ship-based cruise missile, which are expected to be effective against enemy bases that could threaten new forces and the Ground Self-Defense Force, even from a distance, in the event of an emergency.
Finally, Iwata Kiyofumi, the former chief of staff of the Riku, also made it clear that the Marine Corps will play a more active role in the battle to protect the "first island chain" by assuming the attack mission.