Japan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

A Japanese naval destroyer equipped with sophisticated radar key to the country's missile defense system collided with a fishing boat on Tuesday, the coastguard said, raising questions about the ship's monitoring

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bd popeye said:

Questions only rasied by the uninformed.

Ridiclous..I wonder if the editor or author of the article ever spent a single day at sea on a warship. Accidents happen. That's all there is to this.

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Iwakuni Mayor Yoshihiko Fukuda said Thursday he would accept central government plans to relocate U.S. carrier-based aircraft from the U.S. naval base at Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, to the U.S. Marine Corps' Iwakuni Air Station in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

In his policy speech delivered at the opening of the city assembly's plenary session, Fukuda said: "The government's plan aims to ease the city's burden in accepting the U.S. carrier-based aircraft. Basically, I think we need to cooperate with the plan."

Fukuda will visit Tokyo soon to formally notify the central government of his decision, and ask the government to take measures to address problems such as noise pollution and citizens' worries that the security situation would worsen after the relocation.

The relocation is planned as part of a wider realignment of U.S. forces in Japan.

Fukuda said he would request the central government lift a freeze on subsidies to the Iwakuni municipal government for the purpose of constructing a new city government building. About 3.5 billion yen was frozen in fiscal 2007 as a de facto penalty over the suspension of the U.S. forces' relocation plan in Iwakuni by the city's former mayor.

Fukuda said he also would request that the central government pay subsidies in connection with the realignment of U.S. forces in the country to Iwakuni's municipal government, estimated to be about 13.4 billion yen. The subsidies have been withheld due to the dispute over the U.S. aircraft transfer.

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In the face of China's rapid military buildup, the government plans to formulate a new National Defense Program Outline, which sets out basic guidelines for Japan's defense policies, in the next fiscal year, according to sources.

The new outline also would incorporate reform plans for the scandal-ridden Defense Ministry.

According to sources, the government will launch a panel of experts who will discuss in earnest defense policies for the next 10 years. Its report will be reflected in the new outline. The government hopes to have the Cabinet approve the outline by the end of next year, the sources said.

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The government's move to formulate a new National Defense Program Outline comes as China asserts its presence by modernizing its military.

China's defense budget has increased by double-digit rates from the previous year for the 20th straight year. "China has accelerated its military expansion more than expected," a Defense Ministry official said.

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Japanese fighter pilots are learning air-to-air refueling procedures during a two-week training course with their American counterparts from Japan and Florida.

Since Monday, 22 Japanese Air Self-Defense Force F-15 pilots — mainly from Chitose Air Base in Hokkaido — have been trying their hand at refueling behind KC-135s with the aid of U.S. instructor pilots from the 909th Air Refueling Squadron, Kadena Air Base and the Mobile Training Team. The team consists of fighter pilots from the 5th Air Force at Yokota Air Base, Japan, and 95th Fighter Squadron and 2nd Fighter Squadron of the 325th Operations Group, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.

The Japanese fighter pilots started out sitting in the back seat of an F-15 observing a refueling operation and progressed to flying themselves, latching onto a KC-135 boom and fueling up.

The training will help certify JASDF’s participation in June’s Red Flag Alaska, a simulated air-combat exercise, instructors said.

But more importantly, the training lays the foundation for improving JASDF’s ability to operate its missions efficiently without having to worry about distance, 5th Air Force’s Lt. Col. Garth Doty said Thursday.

The Japanese fighter pilots are receiving the same training as U.S. pilots.

“It’s a step toward their own indigenous capability in air refueling,” Doty said. “That capability is important to both the U.S. and Japan.”

The JASDF is set to receive its first fleet of KC-767s within a year, so the timing of the training is perfect, Doty said.

The new tanker, which is larger and can hold more fuel than a KC-135, will be the first for JASDF, he said.

“The training is defined very well and works for us and helps us achieve our goals,” said JASDF squadron commander Lt. Col. Akira Santo. “We are very honored to learn those skills, and we appreciate the instructors.”

Maj. Marcelo Morales, of Yokota’s Detachment 1, 13th Air Force, said the exercise has provided insight into how JASDF approaches its training and daily operations, as well as its military doctrine.

“It’s been interesting to see how their doctrine differs from ours,” he said. “It’s been a very good experience.”

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Japan's defense ministry asked Aug. 29 for its first budget increase in seven years to ease the financial headache from surging oil costs, officials said. Japan, which has been officially pacifist since defeat in World War II, has in recent years sought a more high-profile role in global security, sending troops or ships to support U.S.-led operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Despite concerns about neighboring China's soaring military budget and North Korea's missile and nuclear programs, Tokyo has been cutting defense spending to curb a ballooning public debt. But the defense ministry said it would seek a 2.2 percent increase in its budget to 4.84 trillion yen ($44.4 billion) for the year starting April 2009.

More than half of the increase is due to the military's fuel costs, which have skyrocketed in the past year and forced the cancellation of some training exercises, defense ministry officials said. Another highlight of the budget request is 17.8 billion yen for upgrading equipment for overseas operations, including bullet-proof panels for CH-47 cargo helicopters.

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Mr T said:

I think there's also money to upgrade a few dozens F-15s.

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Japan airforce wants to speed up fighter revamp

TOKYO, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Japan wants to speed up refurbishment of its fighter planes, the Defence Ministry said on Friday, putting plans to buy new ones on hold after Washington blocked its purchase of the most advanced U.S. fighter, the F-22 Raptor. [...]
The ministry wants 94.7 billion yen ($865 million) to update dozens of its Boeing F-15 fighters [...] Japan's airforce would have 22 F-15s fitted with advanced radar systems and missiles and buy parts to refurbish a further 38 planes, speeding up the planned process. ...

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The Eurofighter Typhoon is becoming a serious contender in Japan's forthcoming F-X fighter competition, with industry sources saying that Tokyo is taking the European fighter more seriously in the much-anticipated tender.

"If you had asked me a year ago, I would have said that the Typhoon did not have a chance due to the close US-Japan ties. I am no longer sure of that," says a Tokyo-based industry source close to the Japanese defence ministry. "Washington's continued refusal to release information on the [Lockheed Martin] F-22 has strained bilateral defence ties, and Japanese politicians and bureaucrats are eyeing the Typhoon as a viable alternative to the other American fighters that are on offer."

Under its F-X competition, Japan is seeking around 50 aircraft to replace its ageing McDonnell Douglas F-4s. It has delayed issuing a request for proposals for the past two years while unsuccessfully lobbying the US Congress to overturn the Obey Amendment, which prohibits the sale of the F-22 to any foreign government due to its high level of sensitive technology.

Sources say that Tokyo will push one more time next year, after the US presidential and Congressional elections and Japan's own general elections. If it fails again, it will turn its attention to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Delays in the JSF's delivery schedule, however, could result in Japan following Australia's lead and ordering an interim batch of fighters to prevent a drop in its air capability.

In that situation, Tokyo will likely choose between the Typhoon and Boeing's F/A-18E/F and F-15E. Australia's order for the F/A-18E/F has given the type a boost, while the fact that Japan is the largest operator of the F-15C outside the USA could give that fighter's successor an advantage.

Eurofighter, however, argues that the Typhoon has the most modern platform of the three and stresses its willingness to share much of the fighter's technology with Japanese industry, a fact that will remind Tokyo of the USA's rebuff over the F-22 every time that they bring it up. With orders for the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries F-2, a Japanese version of the Lockheed Martin F-16, ending, MHI will also welcome the opportunity to continue with its licence-production business.

Given that Japan is likely to operate alongside the US military in any conflict, some observers argue that it makes more sense for the country to go with the US defence contractors. However, sources close to Eurofighter point out that the UK and Italy - both also allies of the USA - will operate a combination of F-35s and Typhoons in the future as well.

"Japan's existing F-4s and F-15s are cannot be used for much longer, even with upgrades, while the F-2 is an old platform. The UK and Italy are evidence that the USA could operate with the Typhoon in the mix. In fact, a combination of the F-35 and Typhoon could result in Japan having the most modern fleet possible," says a second source.

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