[War] Japan: "The Men From Miho"

[Ian Martell]

"The Men From Miho"
Prime Minister Shunichi Sato
Japan
July 28, 2006

“Good afternoon, everyone,” Sato said as he joined his Minister of State for 
Defence, the Vice Minister, General Murata of the ASDF, General Tanaka of 
the GSDF and Admiral Takayama of the MSDF as well as three lower ranked JSDF 
personnel. Sato knew what they were there for and nodded to the three of 
them as he sat down; they were the future of Japan’s missile defence.

The officers and ministers sat down and opened up their folders.

“Well we’ve had a very busy week,” Sato commented. “But I would like to say 
thank you very much for your hard work, the creation of Anti-Missile Command 
is coming along on schedule.”

The higher ranked officers as well as the Ministers bowed to the Prime 
Minister, Inoue speaking for them when he said. “It was our pleasure Mr. 
Prime Minister,” then Inoue looked over to the young ASDF Major who was part 
of the three he had whispered something to the ASDF Colonel sitting beside 
him.

“Something wrong Major?” asked Inoue.

Suddenly embarrassed, the Major’s pale bookish features took on a reddish 
hue. “No sir.”

General Murata shook his head. “Well might as well make introductions if you 
don’t mind Mr. Prime Minister.”

“By all means,” Sato said.

“This is Colonel Tetsuzo Chuma, Commander of Anti-Missile Command, beside 
him is Captain Hidekatsu Yano, the second in command, and finally the Major 
here is Genji Terada, who will head up the Intelligence Section.”

Sato nodded. “Dozo yoroshiku,” he said then unable to resist said in sly 
smile to the General. “An intelligence officer who can’t keep quiet? Are you 
sure you made the right choice?”

Murata laughed. “He’ll do.”

Terada coloured more and then stood. Clicking his heels together and coming 
to attention. “Please forgive my mistake Mr. Prime Minister.”

The other men smiled at his earnestness.

“Unnecessary,” Sato said. “I understand you were all informed of the JSDF’s 
decisions recently and I do not doubt you have many questions, which I think 
is an exceptional trait in an Intelligence Officer.”

Terada seemed relieved and the men around the table all nodded.

Murata continued. “You are right about the selection sir, they were informed 
yesterday and I can assure you they have met all the requirements you and 
the ministers set forward.”

Sato nodded. Their requirements had been practical any officer to be in 
command position in the Anti-Missile Command had to speak fluent English to 
liaise with the American forces and have at least six-years experience in 
either the MSDF or ASDF with anti-missile technology. Having read their 
profiles before this meeting he knew all of them had met and exceeded those 
requirements. Chuma had been prior to this assignment the Commander of the 
4th Air Defence Missile Group at Gifu Airbase, Yano had been in command of 
the AEGIS equipped Kongo from 1998 and Terada had been headed up one of the 
imagery analyst teams at the ASDF’s intelligence wing, focusing on the North 
Korean missile deployments.

“I am glad to hear it,” he said. “So have we come to a solution on the 
problem we discussed last time?”

“The ships?” asked Murata.

Sato nodded and noticed that Yano perked up at the mention of ships. 
Obviously the odd man out with the duo of fly boys he was now working with.

“If I may sirs, what problem is that?” Yano asked.

“There have been some, disagreements, between the ASDF and MSDF as to how to 
best task our AEGIS equipped vessels to the Anti-Missile Command.”

Yano nodded. “Well at present we have five ships with those capabilities,” 
he said.

“Five?” Sato asked checking his notes. “I thought there were only four Kongo 
class vessels?”

“True,” said Yano. “However we have begun sea trials of the new Improved 
Kongo class vessel and in a crisis situation we should not discount it, I 
know her Captain and the AEGIS systems have been meeting their trial 
specifications.”

Sato nodded. “Very well,” he said. “Does she have a name?”

“The Natsukaze” replied Yano.

Sato nodded. Summer wind, such a peaceful sounding name for such a powerful 
weapon.

“Well Captain Yano, how will the Natsukaze’s inclusion help matters?”

“Honeslty, sir she won’t not this problem but I felt that it was only right 
we included her in our count of vessels capable of aiding in missile 
defence. However I do have a solution to the problem of tasking our ships.”

Sato nodded to him to go on.

“Please keep in mind I am not speaking as an MSDF officer but as someone now 
tasked to defend the nation. We leave the MSDF with control of the Kongo and 
Kongo II class vessels. Here is why, unless there are plans to make our blue 
water activities more prominent the MSDF is mostly a brown water force who 
patrols our territorial waters only. Therefore if a crisis were to develop 
they would be on hand and could with a phone call be tasked to Anti-Missile 
Command.”

“What if the missiles are already in the air?” asked General Tanaka.

“Well I would suggest that we develop ROE for the Kongo and Kongo II class 
vessels, in fact all Japanese vessels, that upon detection of an incoming 
missiles their first call be to Anti-Missile Command. In the case of our 
AEGIS equipped vessels, they would then be able to receive orders from the 
Colonel or myself to engage in defensive action.”

Sato nodded. “Is there time for that?” he asked. “A call to Anti-Missile 
Command?”

“Very likely sir, however our early warning systems and coastal radar will 
also likely detect such a missile and the Captain or I can contact the 
needed vessels,” Colonel Chuma said.

“What do we foresee as the likely scenario in a missile attack?” asked 
General Tanaka.

Minister Inoue flipped through his folder. “Page 23 and 24, lay out our 
plans.”

They all flipped to those pages.

“Scenario 1 works on the assumption we get intelligence from either our 
services or the Americans,” he said then looked to Terada. “All missile 
information received by our agencies will be copied to your unit Major.”

“Thank you sir,” the Major said.

“Anyhow we receive word that the threat nation, which I suppose is our 
polite way of saying North Korea,” Inoue said to smiles around the room. “Is 
preparing it’s missile forces at which time Anti-Missile Command would be 
given command of all ships being able to destroy incoming missiles of the 
variety of the Nodong or Taepodong-1 variety and deploy them according to 
the assessed threat to each region as well as putting our land based 
anti-missile measures on highest alert.”

“Excuse me Minister, highest alert, am I to conclude from that they will be 
on high alert as a matter of course?”

“That’s right, the distance North Korean missiles would have to cross is too 
short to deploy missile units in the case of a late detection.”

“I see,” Chuma said.

“Carrying on, hopefully by this point we can dissuade the threat nation 
through other means from carrying out their attack, but assuming they fire 
then Anti-Missile Command would react accordingly tasking whatever land and 
sea based equipment to the job of shooting down the missile, as well as 
alerting the government and the GSDF to the incoming missiles likely points 
of impact.”

They nodded, the GSDF’s role in this would be the deployment of their 
personnel once the all clear was given to assist any areas who were hit by 
the missiles, after all missile defence was not fool proof by any means. 
Everyone there knew that what they were doing was trying to stop some of the 
damage from a massive missile strike, but that in Sato’s mind at least was a 
worthy goal.

“Scenario 2, is very similar to the end of one, basically beginning with a 
late detection with missiles inbound and would entail Anti-Missile command 
issuing orders to resources already in position to defend against the 
attack, with the notification of the government and GSDF staying the same of 
course.”

Chuma nodded. “Has there been any discussion of a scenario where we are not 
solely the defender, either in the case of an early detection, a first 
strike, or in the case of a late, reprisal attacks on various strategic 
facilities?”

“Not at this time,” Inoue said in a tone saying that matter was not up for 
discussion in this meeting.

Chuma nodded. “Speaking of facilities, where will we be based out of? 
Iruma?”
Inoue shook his head. “We’re currently examining existing bases and suitable 
new sights to place your unit headquarters but for the time being you will 
be based out of Miho Airbase in Yamaguchi.”

“Miho?” asked Chuma. “There’s nothing there.”

“Exactly,” explained Inoue. “Miho is home to the 3rd Air Transport Squadron 
and is not near any major population centers it is unlikely to be a priority 
target for any attack. However it is near enough to the costal radar station 
there to be tied into the network easily and we will be expanding the 
communication facilities immediately to assist with the high amount of 
communications traffic you will have to deal with.”

“I assume then the true nature of our posting is classified?” Captain Yano 
asked.

“Yes,” Inoue explained. “The official explanation of your presence there as 
well as the upgrades to the base will be a joint research project on 
communications systems conducted by both your branches of the JSDF.”

The men nodded and Inoue commented. “Our thought is if the North Koreans do 
find out about the upgrades to Miho and the increased presence they’ll 
likely conclude that it is a listening post and nothing more critical.”

Again the men nodded taking it all in.

“Well, I think this has been a good introduction to the project, now 
gentlemen, I think you have much to consider about your new posting, take 
some time to read over the documents and prepare any suggestions you might 
have about how to make it better for our next meeting in a week’s time. In 
the meantime, you will be stationed at Iruma until the upgrades to Miho are 
complete, assemble your staffs and between the two of you Colonel, Captain, 
decide who will take day and night shift, because I’d like you both to be 
ready to accept calls from our field commanders in two-days time.”

“Yes sir,” they said.

“Good,” Sato said and with that the junior men left and the senior ones 
moved on to other matters of the nation’s defence.

Actions:
1>	Choose commanders for the Anti-Missile Command (AMC) incorporating the 
two major branches of the JSDF involved. Policy will be to switch the branch 
the CO comes from every two years to keep rivalry down.
2>	Set standards for AMC senior staff to include fluency in English and at 
least six-years experience in related fields.
3>	Order the intelligence agencies to copy all missile related intelligence 
documents to the AMC.
4>	Set up rules of engagement for all units of the JSDF that enemy missiles 
launches will be reported first to the AMC.
5>	Leave the AEGIS ships in the hands of the MSDF, but allow control of them 
to go to the AMC in situations of high missile threat or when an immediate 
response is required, allow the AMC to order a missile shot down without 
going through the MSDF chain of command.
6>	Establish the temporary command center for the AMC at Miho Airbase.
7>	Have the commander’s be the ones to call the shots on shooting down 
missiles as of the 30th of July.

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