Recently, Japan's military activities in the southwest region have been unusually frequent, which has attracted widespread attention. According to reports, the commander of the 8th Division of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force crashed in a Black Hawk helicopter while performing his mission, and the accident site is located very close to the coastlines of Ishigaki Island and Miyako Island, and only about 200 kilometers from the Diaoyu Islands. This shows that Japan is making it an important task to strengthen land and island defenses in the southwest.
It is alleged that one of the objectives of the mission of the commander of the Eighth Division was to survey the terrain conditions. This will help to refine the division's combat operations in the region, especially for targeted military deployments in the southwestern direction. Island defense is extremely challenging and requires extensive deployment and multi-point operations. By reconnaissance of the terrain situation by aviation, Japan can deploy troops and firepower more effectively. In addition, it is clear that they also carried out reconnaissance of sea targets, so someone called this incident the wreck of a "professional photographer".
The Eighth Division is notorious for its participation in the battles in the Rehe and Great Wall areas during the War of Aggression against China. This incident once again showed that this division still plays an important role in Japan's so-called "Southwest Strategy." However, the current Eighth Division is different from the large corps of the past, with only about 6,000 men. Despite Japan's bravado, its comprehensive combat capability and force size have been relatively reduced. The crashed Black Hawk helicopter was made in the United States, and its glory is over. This also shows that the Black Hawk helicopter is gradually withdrawing from the historical stage and being replaced by a more modern alternative.
The Japanese accident, especially the disappearance of the lieutenant general division commander, shows their current anxiety. They are actively strengthening the defense of the southwestern islands, including military deployments around Taiwan. Previously, they had conducted several joint military exercises on islands 200 kilometers from Taiwan. This shows that Japan has not only stepped up its deployment, but also taken offensive measures. Japanese politicians have already said, "If something happens in Taiwan, it means something happens in Japan; If something happens in Japan, it means something happens in the Japan-US alliance. This phrase remains, in the new government, emphasizing the strengthening of military combat capabilities in the southwestern direction. The deployment of long-range cruise missiles and medium-range anti-aircraft weapons is only part of the story. Japan and the United States are highly collaborative to provide rapid response and military action capabilities.
The crash of the commander of the Eighth Division reminded Japan that the situation in the southwest region is not stable. If they try to create trouble on Chinese territory, accidents can happen at any time. Diaoyu Dao and Taiwan are China's inherent territories, and Japan should not covet them, let alone take hostile actions. Any such action would adversely affect Japan itself.