Chapter 4 Establishment of a JMSA Structure for the New Order at Sea
(1) Current Wide Area Patrol System and Its Philosophy
Since the establishment of the 12-mile territorial sea and the 200-mile fishing zone in 1977. JMSA has been working to maintain a wide area patrol system using patrol vessels, craft, aircraft, etc. At present, it has 119 patrol vessels, 235 patrol craft, 26 airplanes, and 44 helicopters. The table below shows a further breakdown of this.
JMSA deploys these patrol vessels, craft, and aircraft basically in the following manner. Mainly medium or smaller patrol vessels, patrol craft, and medium planes and helicopters patrol sea areas from the internal waters to contiguous zones. Mainly large patrol vessels and medium planes and helicopters patrol sea areas from the vicinity of contiguous zones to within 100 nautical miles of shore. Mainly helicopter-carrying patrol vessels and jets patrol the sea areas beyond 100 nautical miles of shore.
(2) Expansion of Maritime Safety Operations as a Result of UNCLOS Ratification
Since the recent ratification of UNCLOS will mean the employment of straight baselines and the establishment of contiguous zones and EEZ, Japan will have to monitor and enforce the law in a greatly larger sea area. As a result, there is an increased necessity to strengthen its monitoring and law enforcement operations related to foreign fishing vessels and to protecting and preserving the marine environment, especially along tanker routes. Furthermore, it has become increasingly important to reinforce its law-enforcement because of problems such as the growing number of illegal immigration cases involving groups of people and the increasing seriousness of drug and firearm smuggling.
(3) Patrol Vessels, Craft, Aircraft, etc.
As described heretofore, to appropriately respond to JMSA's needs, including measures to accommodate the ratification of UNCLOS, it is of urgent concern that JMSA increase its fleet of patrol vessels, craft, and aircraft and strengthen its system for conducting oceanographic surveys to ascertain its jurisdictional sea area.
