Japan plans to withdraw the Maritime Self-Defense Force from operating its Antarctic research vessel in the early 2030s, transferring responsibility for transporting personnel and supplies to a state-backed marine research agency, as growing security demands and manpower shortages strain the country’s defense forces, sources familiar with the matter said Friday.
The MSDF has operated ships for Japan’s Antarctic program since 1965. About 180 personnel currently crew the icebreaker Shirase, which carries researchers and cargo between Japan and Antarctica.
But the government has decided the MSDF should end its role in operating the vessel as the security environment around Japan becomes more challenging, including increased Chinese military activities that have added to the Self-Defense Forces’ operational burden.
Ongoing personnel shortages have also prompted a review of how resources are allocated, the sources said.
Under the plan, operational control will be handed to the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, while the MSDF will play a limited support role.
Before the withdrawal, MSDF’s deployment is expected to be reduced to around 30 personnel, who will assist with ice navigation and transport cargo over sea ice near Syowa Station, Japan’s research base in Antarctica.
The current Shirase is expected to be retired in 2034 due to aging, with the government aiming to introduce a successor vessel that year. The future operator of the replacement ship has been under discussion.
Advances in navigation technology have lowered the risks of sailing in ice-covered waters, making it more feasible for a civilian organization to take over operations, the sources said.
They added that civilian operation of the vessel could allow more flexible planning of Antarctic research missions. Helicopter operations in Antarctica are expected to be handled by the National Institute of Polar Research.
The government plans to begin detailed discussions on the future transport framework under a panel overseen by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, who heads the body coordinating Japan’s Antarctic observation program.
According to the Defense Ministry, the SDF had about 220,000 personnel at the end of fiscal 2024, or 89.1 percent of the authorized strength of roughly 247,000.
Based on demographic trends, the SDF could shrink to about 180,000 by fiscal 2035 and around 130,000 by fiscal 2045, according to government estimates.
© KYODO
