Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
海上自衛隊
Founded	1 July 1954 (1954-07-01)
Country	Japan
Type	Navy
Role	Naval warfare
Size	50,800 personnel 150+ ships 346 aircraft
Part of	Japan Self-Defense Forces
Garrison/HQ	Ichigaya, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
March	Gunkan March Play
Fleet	2 light aircraft carriers 2 helicopter carriers 22 submarines 36 destroyers 10 frigates 6 destroyer escorts 4 landing ships 30 minesweepers 6 patrol boats 8 training ships (21 auxiliaries)
Website	mod.go.jp
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief	Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
Minister of Defense	Minoru Kihara
Chief of Staff, Joint Staff	General Yoshihide Yoshida
Chief of the Maritime Staff	Admiral Ryō Sakai
Insignia
Commissioning pennant
Ensign

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force protects Japan at sea. It's part of the Japan Self-Defense Forces and was created after World War II when the Imperial Japanese Navy dissolved. The JMSDF has 154 ships, 346 aircraft, and 50,800 personnel.

History

Origin

After Japan's defeat in World War II, the Imperial Japanese Navy was disbanded, and some of its ships, like the battleship Nagato, were taken by the Allies. The remaining fleet was initially used for repatriating Japanese soldiers and minesweeping under the Second Bureau of the Demobilization Ministry. The minesweeping duties were later transferred to the Maritime Safety Agency, maintaining naval resources.

The 1947 Constitution included Article 9 renouncing war, allowing Japan to maintain military forces for self-defense. Cold War pressures led the United States to support Japan's self-defense capabilities. In 1952, the Safety Security Force (SSF) was formed within the Maritime Safety Agency, incorporating military vessels given by the U.S. In 1954, the JMSDF was formally established as the naval branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). The JMSDF's early ships included former U.S. Navy destroyers. With the Cold War threat from the Soviet Navy, the JMSDF focused on an anti-submarine role.