Japan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Aviation International News said:

Japan Eyes Further Mitsubishi F-2 Procurement

By: David Donald
August 6, 2010
Military Aircraft, Defense

Japan could build more Mitsubishi F-2s while it decides on a future fighter. (Photo: U.S. Air Force)

Japan is examining the possibility of continuing production of the Mitsubishi F-2 to bolster its fighter fleet in the face of growing Chinese capability, adding some 20 aircraft to the 94 (plus four prototypes) currently procured. The Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) is looking for a new fighter and has stated a desire for the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, but U.S. export restrictions have ruled that out.

Lead competitors for the JASDF requirement are now the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), Eurofighter Typhoon and Boeing F/A-18E/F. If Japan cannot acquire F-22s, then the F-35 would be a logical choice, but Japan reportedly has concerns about the JSF’s timescale and growing costs. Procurement of additional F-2s would be an interim step to give Japan a longer period in which to make a decision.

The F-2 is an enlarged derivative of the Lockheed Martin F-16, initially developed to meet Japan’s support fighter requirement. That, in turn, entailed anti-ship capability through the integration of ASM-1/2 anti-ship missiles. Mitsubishi is the prime contractor and also builds the forward fuselage and wings. Other major partners are Kawasaki (center fuselage), Fuji (tail and other components) and Lockheed Martin (rear fuselage).

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U.S. and Japan stage successful missile-defense test

By Jim Wolf - WASHINGTON | Fri Oct 29, 2010 2:19am EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Japanese naval destroyer equipped with a Lockheed Martin Corp Aegis ballistic missile defense system carried out a successful flight-intercept test on Thursday in a "milestone" of growing cooperation, Japanese and U.S. forces announced. ...

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Japan eyes procuring F-35 fighters; gives up on more F-2 jets

Monday 08th November, 07:54 AM JST

TOKYO —

The Defense Ministry has set its sights on procuring the F-35 fighter as Japan’s main next-generation fighter aircraft for the Air Self-Defense Force, giving up on an earlier plan to buy more F-2 fighters, ministry and Self-Defense Forces sources said Sunday...

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Japan may place troops close to disputed islands
AFP, TOKYO

Tokyo is considering placing troops on a remote Japanese island in the East China Sea to monitor China’s expanded naval activities that have worried its neighbors, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported yesterday.

The defense ministry wishes to create a “coastal security surveillance team” with the main mission to radar-monitor Chinese naval activities, the newspaper said, citing ministry sources.

Japanese defense officials were considering placing about 200 troops on Yonaguni, Japan’s westernmost island, roughly 100km east of Taiwan, the paper said.

The Japanese military regularly sends patrol aircraft to the region, but has no permanent monitoring facility there, the report said.

However, a defense ministry official denied the report, saying no such decision has been made.

Increased Chinese naval activity has led Japan into mulling the deployment of more forces to its scattered southern islands and away from Cold War-era locations in the north near Russia.

In an incident on April 23, a large Chinese flotilla ventured near a group of disputed islands close to Okinawa in the East China Sea and sent out a helicopter that buzzed Japanese navy ships monitoring their movement. Tokyo lodged a protest with Beijing after the helicopter flew within 90m of one of its ships.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER

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Finn McCool said:

I've thought that the Japanese would increase their military presence in the southern Ryukyus for some time. It just makes sense from Japan's perspective. They have a nice arc of islands that hem in the East China Sea and provide them with a way of playing gatekeeper to a large portion of China's coastline.

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xywdx said:

Keeping a knife out of sight behind your back is often far more effective than waving a knife around openly.
Besides, how exactly are they supposed to play gatekeeper?
They cannot legally deny passage through their waters, if they tried then it will be an even bigger mess than Diaoyu island.

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Finn McCool said:

Yonaguni is the last of the Ryukyus. It's very close to Taiwan as you can see.

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Thanks for the maps Finn. Just to clarify, roughly the right edge of the map is North? Wow, this island is far far South West of Okinawa.

Does anyone know if there is a Japanese or any country's Western Pacific equivalent of SOSUS?

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PanAsian said:

Finn McCool said:

Yonaguni is the last of the Ryukyus. It's very close to Taiwan as you can see.

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QUOTE]

Thanks for the maps Finn. Just to clarify, roughly the right edge of the map is North? Wow, this island is far far South West of Okinawa.

Does anyone know if there is a Japanese or any country's Western Pacific equivalent of SOSUS?

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Yes. It's a couple hundred miles southwest of Okinawa. The Ryukyus and Japanese home islands are one contiguous mountain range. You could probably count the Kurils and Kamchatka in there too.

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bd popeye said:

BLUEJACKET c'mon now..You were on the Hawk. Right? And you know the US is always holding excersises with the JSDF all the time. They have been for many years. This is no big deal. Some Neo-cons aren't happy unless they are stirring up trouble and publishing exaggerations....

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