Japan's GSDF marks foundation of new "electromagnetic" unit

Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) on Monday held a ceremony to mark the foundation of a unit dedicated to electronic defense capabilities as part of the efforts to enhance the nation's abilities in the electromagnetic sphere.

Around 180 personnel throughout the country make up the unit, which is charged with detecting and analyzing communications and radar emissions.

At a ceremony to mark the unit's launch held at the GSDF's Camp Asaka on Monday, the location of the unit's headquarters, Yasutaka Nakasone, a parliamentary vice minister of defense, said, "It is essential that the unit as a whole effectively inhibit our adversaries' ability to maximize our capabilities."

Japan's Defense Ministry has been earmarking spending to enhance a number of its capabilities, including those pertaining to electromagnetic fields, space and cyberspace.

"Strengthening capability in the new fields is critical to achieving synergies in combination with conventional domains and to responding appropriately to situations," said Col. Hiromitsu Kadota, the unit's head.

The new unit's network electronic system has the ability to collect, analyze and disrupt radio wave signals, should the need necessitate, sources with knowledge of the matter said.