Japan Ground Self-Defense Force

Now let's export some of that spirit to NATO's laggards like Spain, shall we? Next up, what may be a surprise entry considering it's a country that has pacifism written into its constitution.

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force is a serious force built around two serious problems.

The fact that Japan is, in the grand scheme of things, isolated in its location and has nightmarish geography from a defense perspective, what with the nation being made up of 14,125 islands.

As a result, the Japanese Army, as we'll call it for the sake of brevity, is not a force built for projection per se, although it maintains elements of that capability in its role as a formal NATO partner, but instead one built around defense.

Here's the thing, though.

Defense, when translated into Japanese, doesn't mean sitting around on the beaches saving Private Ryan Stahl and shooting up the Chinese from hardened, static positions that stretch the entire length of the coastline.

Instead, as per the Defense of Japan 2022 white paper published by the Ministry of Defense, it means flexibility.

Not waiting for them on the beaches, but meeting them there, racing in from central positions when it becomes clear where they will actually be landing, digging in double quick, and then laying the firepower down.

What is the purpose of that organization, and how does it differ from an academy such as West Point?

Yes, the National Defense Academy was established in 1952 as a joint college school with the aim of training future officers for ground self-defense force, maritime self-defense force, and air self-defense force.

National Defense Academy, NDA, adheres to the three founding principles established under the first president the first principle is to the development of well-balanced character in knowledge virtue and physical ability second is academic education and military training that form a foundation of military officer and third is the formation of a tradition of cadets' self-discipline, autonomy, and self-reliance.

Their goal is to cultivate individuals worthy of becoming future officers.

NDA cadets strive to improve themselves with the spirit of self-discipline, autonomy, and self-reliance endeavor to cultivate rigorous moral character and aim to develop the expandable qualities necessary to fulfill their assigned mission.

The cadet honor code has been established by cadets themselves with integrity, true courage, and courtesy as its three virtues and is practiced as a spiritual foundation and code of conduct.

The difference is between the two is that the West Point is an Army cadet school while the National Defense Academy is a joint cadet school for the Ground Self-Defense Force, Maritime Self-Defense Force, and Air Self-Defense Force.

MDA cadets choose their future branch of service when they advance to their second year.

Reservations are accepted at Japan rolls out new missile with 1,000-kilometer ship strike capability.

The Ground Self-Defense Force on October 25 unveiled its new Type 25 surface-to-ship guided missile that has a range of about 1,000 kilometers and forms a vital component of Japan's counter-strike capability.

The rollout came during a media event at the Anahara training area, which straddles Nagasaki and Saga prefectures, during Keen Sword, a Japan-US joint exercise that runs through October 29.

The Type 25 is intended to deter China's growing maritime activities, although some warn it could heighten military tensions.

We have a validated platform and a proven track record.

Two plus years of full-scale flight, autonomous point A to point B deliveries, validation by the U.S. Army, the U.S. Marine Corps, Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force.

And those flights that I mentioned earlier on under the U.S. Department of Transportation, FAA's EIPP.

We're seeing incredible tailwinds right now with the American Drone Dominance Executive Order that this administration is focused on U.S. companies bringing drone technology to both commercial and defense applications.