Japan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

timepass said:

Then the questions will be:

what's the JSDMF requirement is?
will they put these babies for export?
will they find any customer?

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Jeff Head said:

[SUB][/SUB]JMSDF has a requirement for about 70 of the P-1 aircraft. The US requires about 120 P-8s.

I doubt the P-1s will be exported. JMSDF generally does not do any export business for its major vessels or aircraft that I am awar eof. The P-8 is already are being exported and not doing too badly.

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The Pacifist War
Is war looming as Japan strengthens its military power and tensions escalate over disputed East China Sea islands?

In the waters of the East China Sea, a daily show of aggression is displayed around the uninhibited Senakaku/Diaoyutai Islands. Coast guards from China and Japan play a dangerous game of cat and mouse as both sides try to lay claim to the disputed resource-rich territory. The concern is - that the two powers are riding towards war.

101 East presenter Steve Chao takes a trip to the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyutai Islands, 200km from Taiwan and 2,000km from Tokyo. This region is home to rich fishing grounds and potential gas deposits.
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With China’s growing hostility and nuclear missile threats from North Korea, Japan’s newly-elected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vows to strengthen the country’s military power to defend the islands at all cost. And that task falls on Japan’s Self-Defense Force (SDF), made up of ground, maritime and air units.

During this time of heightened tensions, Japan’s Self-Defense Force granted 101 East rare and exclusive access into its operations to showcase the depth of its military prowess. No other media outlets have had this level of openness. We are allowed deep into the inner workings of the force and speak to commanders and soldiers who – for the first time in generations – are preparing to put their lives on the line to protect the country.

Japan’s Self-Defense Force was formed in 1954. It is Japan’s first defense unit since the country was forced to end its aggressions after World War II. Under government guidelines, the force is meant to be defensive, not offensive, and leaders have so-far prevented labeling it, as a military – although it is increasingly seen as such internationally.

101 East speaks with General Shigeru Iwasaki, chief of defence staff, who says the current threats around Japan justifies the SDF.

In order to understand the strength of the force, we went onboard the Hyuga-class carrier. It is a 13,500 tonne contradiction – the constitution forbids the building of an aircraft carrier. Instead it is reclassified as a destroyer class vessel.

We also visited the F15 Squadron at the Naha airbase in Okinawa. It is the closest airbase to the Senkaku/Diaoyutai Islands. In the past year, they scrambled 306 times against foreign incursions.

In January this year, an F15 incepted a Chinese aircraft headed for the islands. Japan’s ally, the US have since sounded warnings to China about the intrusions.

On the ground, Japan’s elite force, the 1st Airborne Brigade holds wargames and military exercises as a very public demonstration to China. The mission – be prepared to retake the islands if necessary. In a potential armed conflict, the unit is expected to be the first deployed as a rapid reaction force. We speak to the commander and elite paratroopers of the 1st Airborne Brigade and they have very bold answers on how the SDF should be changed, and China’s perceived threats.

As Japan begins to reshape, rename and transform what many consider its “military power”, constitutional advisors, like Setsu Kobayashi worry that a change in the hands of its current leaders will restore militarism, going against longheld and cherished ideals of pacifism for which Japan stands for.

Katsumoto Saotome, the director of the Tokyo Air Raid Museum, is also hesitant of Japan changing its constitution to allow for a full military. The museum, he says, is a reminder of love and peace for the next generation, a place where the Japanese can learn from their past mistakes. The photographs displayed there paint a picture of devastated Tokyo after the US bombing raids in the late 1940s.

Considering its past aggression in World War II, is Japan ready to revive its military might?

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Japan's self-defense forces get into samurai spirit
06.06.2013 15:09


The ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDPJ) agreed on a large-scale rearmament of the country's land and naval forces. The reform will focus on the creation of the Marine Corps, increasing the efficiency of air and missile defense, as well as equipment of the army and navy with modern weapons to attack enemy naval bases.

On May 30th, LDPJ Council of National Defense approved the draft of the full-scale rearmament of the country. This event was dedicated to the renaming of the Japan Self-Defense Forces into a full army of national defense. After the end of World War II, the Japanese authorities were not allowed to have full-fledged armed forces. The country adopted a new constitution that significantly limited military capabilities, even in terms of self-defense. The law provided for a complete abandonment of military potential by Japan. The country was not allowed to have offensive weapons, including bombers and missiles launchers of short and long range.

Ex-ministers of LDPJ Shigeru Ishiba and Gen Nakatani are the main ideologists behind the large scale rearmament of Japan. They presented a draft reform of the rearmament that was approved and sent to the Government for consideration. Shigeru Ishiba stated that the restrictions introduced after the war relating to the size of the Japanese armed forces have long been out of date.

Indeed, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces have been actively developing, and currently Japan is ranked fifth in the world in terms of military expenditure. Each year the country spends approximately $44 billion on arms, but cannot engage in the production and procurement of cruise missiles of various range and strategic bombers, capable of large-scale attacks.

Shigeru Ishiba said it was time for Japan to become fully entitled to form a full-grown army. However, he added that first the constitution of the country must be amended to eliminate the name "self-defense forces." He argued that the Japanese people could not forever give up warfare in resolving world conflicts with other countries.

If changes in the Constitution come into force, the Japanese army could apply full-scale air strikes against enemy military bases, as well as increase the effectiveness of anti-missile defense forces due to the tense situation on the Korean peninsula. In addition, Japan will create marine units capable of defending remote Japanese islands in the Pacific, as it was during the Second World War. Then the Japanese fought with their today's closest ally - the United States.

First of all, the Japanese authorities want to resolve the matter of the possibility of inflicting air strikes on military bases of the enemy. One of the documents states that a serious deterioration of the relations with North Korea could force the Japanese government to initiate a number of attacks on nuclear and missile ranges of the country. But first the Japanese army must be equipped with short-range cruise missiles and strategic bombers.

North Korea has repeatedly threatened the Japanese government with an air strike on their territory. First of all, it has to do with the American bases in Japan. Under an additional agreement between Washington and Seoul, the Americans are going to provide all the necessary military assistance in the event of any provocation on the part of Pyongyang. The relations between the two countries are extremely tense. North Korea has moved launchers to the east coast of the country, and is ready to shoot at any time.

A diplomatic visit of a Korean representative in Tokyo regarding the normalization of the relations between the countries did not help the situation. General Secretary of the Government of Japan Yoshihide Suga said then that he was pleased that North Korea has finally stopped its provocative actions against Japan and was ready to cooperate. Nevertheless, he added, the Japanese side would remain vigilant and continue to monitor all future actions of Pyongyang.

The Japanese authorities have other fears besides the threat from North Korea. The relations with China have deteriorated in recent years. This is why LDPJ suggested the idea of ​​creating marine units that would be used if the country is attacked from the outside. First of all, such an attack is possible on the Senkaku Islands that have been disputed by China and Japan for a long time. According to the Potsdam Conference of the post-war world, Japan should return all the occupied territories to China. The Senkaku Islands fit this category.

At a recent convention in Potsdam Premier Li Keqiang has openly stated that the Japanese had stolen the islands from China and have to return them soon. He said that after the war Japan signed a declaration in which they pledged to return all the occupied islands to China. The postwar world order must remain the same, and China will make every effort to protect it.

In turn, the Japanese government condemned the scandalous statement of Li Keqiang. Secretary-general of Japan Yoshihide Suga argued that the statement of the Chinese ignored the history, and Japan could not agree with them in any way. He added that the Senkaku Islands were Japanese native land both from historical and ethnic point of view. Japan owns these lands today. China's statement is only based on one-sided position.

After this declaration by the representatives of China, the Japanese authorities made a decision to equip its armed forces in the region by adding AAV7 amphibious assault vehicles and American convertiplanes V-22 OSPREY.

Valery Kistanov, director of the Center for the Japanese Studies at the Institute of the Far East, said that Japanese offensive weapons could be deployed in any direction. "Of course, first of all Japanese weapons would be directed against the DPRK, and then China. Japanese missile defense system is ramping up its power due to the increasing missile and nuclear forces in China. Either way the country will continue to spend billions of dollars on the military industry. According to Japanese political analysts and politicians, it is primarily due to the situation on the Korean peninsula and growth of China's military. These two factors are considered a threat by Japan, and therefore the country will actively rearm."

Valery Kistanov also noted that the amendments to the Constitution of Japan indicate tightening of the foreign policy of the country: "The leader of the LDPJ Shinzo Abe shares right-wing nationalist views. He believes that Japan was given undeserved military restrictions that prevented it from becoming a full-fledged global power. "

The Japanese government has increased spending on the military industry, which is primarily due to the changes in the aviation equipment of the country. The Japanese government plans to improve fifth-generation fighter F-35 with new ammunition featuring American navigation equipment Joint Direct Attack Munition. This equipment will operate free-falling bombs, which would increase the accuracy of air attacks.

In addition, by 2014, the Japanese authorities plan to conduct first tests of "Stealth" fighter. The country invested $470 million to create an aircraft invisible to radar systems. Work on the project was started in 2009 by Mitsubishi. The first aircraft will be called "Sin-Sin," and will be executed according to the American stealth aircraft technology.

The increase in military spending caused serious concerns in Asia. China opposes Japanese plans for the establishment of the army. A representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China advocated that the countries of Asia and the world community should pay special attention to all attempts to strengthen the Japanese armed forces. She also noted that it was Japan that started the Second World War in Asia.

Washington, by contrast, approves of the plans to expand Tokyo military program. Currently 50,000 American soldiers are placed in Japan. Strengthening of Tokyo would allow Washington to strengthen the relations with Japan and get a decent springboard for putting pressure on China.

The proposals of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan would likely involve the development of the defense system of the country for the next five years. In the event that the reform is formally re-approved by the authorities, further relations between Japan and its neighbors may deteriorate. Asian countries are already watching the activity in Japan in the field of defense with caution. What should we expect next? It is clear that in general terms the military strengthening of Japan will not contribute to reducing tension in the region. In fact, it would trigger a new round of the arms race, especially in the countries with acute historical memory of the crimes of the Japanese samurai state.

Sergei Vasilenkov

Pravda.Ru

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Kyodo News InternationalJune 12, 2013 03:35
U.S. to land MV-22 Osprey on Japanese ship in defense drill

The U.S. Marine Corps will land the helicopter-airplane hybrid MV-22 Osprey on Japan's helicopter destroyer Hyuga on Friday at Naval Base San Diego, marking the first time the U.S. will land the aircraft on a Japanese ship, a Marine Corps spokesman said Tuesday.

The exercise is one of the most highly anticipated events of Dawn Blitz 2013, a series of exercises in Southern California involving the U.S. military and forces from Japan, Canada and New Zealand. The exercises are aimed at enhancing the amphibious capabilities of participating militaries.

Hyuga Capt. Akihiko Tanabe said there are certain accommodations the ship and crew will have to make because of the large wingspan of the Osprey compared with the helicopters normally on the Hyuga, like designating a landing zone on the rear of the ship specifically for the aircraft.

Tanabe added that the MV-22 Osprey could prove useful if another disaster, like the 2011 triple disaster in the Tohoku region, were to happen again.

Brig. Gen. John Broadmeadow, commanding general of the U.S. Marine Corps' 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade, which is participating in the Dawn Blitz exercises, said in a statement provided to Kyodo News, "The very first landing of an MV-22 Osprey on a Japanese ship is a historic moment for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade and Marine Corps at large.

"Dawn Blitz 2013 provides us an opportunity to enhance our long-standing relationship with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and to highlight the capabilities of the MV-22 Osprey, which allows the Marine Corps and Navy to quickly respond to a crisis when launched from sea or land."

The MV-22 Osprey has been a subject of intense controversy in Okinawa, where the U.S. military stationed a squadron of the aircraft at the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma last October. Protests exploded over worries about the aircraft's safety amid two crashes in Florida and Morocco in 2012.

A second squadron of the MV-22 Ospreys is scheduled to arrive in Okinawa this summer.

This year is the first time Japan's military is participating in the Dawn Blitz exercises and also marks the first time troops from Japan's ground, maritime and air Self-Defense Forces are participating in exercises together.

Sgt. Shinya Matsuo, 31, a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force rifleman, is among about 140 Japanese ground troops on the Hyuga for the exercises.

Matsuo, who is acting as a translator and interpreter during the exercises, said he and his fellow troops are excited about the opportunity to work with troops from other countries, but are also a little nervous.

The eight-year veteran of the ground Self-Defense Force added, "I think we need to make strong relationships with other countries' troops."

Crews from two others ships, the tank landing ship Shimokita and Aegis destroyer Atago, are also in San Diego for the exercises.

==Kyodo

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New Japan Self Defense Force Initiatives on Amphibious Warfare, Global Hawk, Cyber-Terrorism
by KYLE MIZOKAMI on Aug 28, 2012 • 1:11 pm 8 Comments


Japan has announced a series of initiatives to bolster the Self Defense Forces’ ability to respond to new and potential threats. The initiatives span from cyber to amphibious warfare and fill gaps in existing capability.

TV Asahi has broken the news that the Self Defense Forces plan on buying four U.S.-made AAV-7 amphibious assault vehicles for the Ground Self Defense Forces. The vehicles will cost a total of ¥3,000,000,000, or roughly $37.5 million USD.

Built by FMC Corporation in the 1980s, the AAV-7 can carry up to 21 combat-equipped troops over land or water. Armament is either a Mk.19 automatic grenade launcher or M2 .50 caliber machine gun. The AAVs would be used to carry troops of the Western Army Infantry Regiment, the GSDF’s amphibious-trained unit. The AAVs would be embarked on the MSDF’s Oosumi-class amphibious landing vessels and then depart for the shore via the ship’s well deck.

The AAVs are a response to Japan’s worry that armed foreign activists will take over a remote Japanese island and proof difficult to dislodge. This contingency has been a part of Japan’s defense white paper for years, and predates the recent landing of Hong Kong and Chinese activists on the Senkaku islands. Japan seems determined to acquire the capability to dislodge such a group without building up an amphibious force that would appear provocative.

The legality of having amphibious vehicles — which are generally considered offensive-oriented — is an issue in Japan. According to the Sankei Shimbun the government was never in favor of buying the vehicles. It quoted an official in the Ministry of Defense as saying that although elements of the public believe there is no reason to have such vehicles, if one works under the assumption that the islands were seized, then amphibious landing craft are indispensable.

The AAV-7 has been out of production for decades, so it’s possible that the SDF vehicles will be drawn from surplus U.S. Marine Corps stocks and refurbished.

In other news, Japan has asked the United States to base Global Hawk long-range reconnaissance drones in the region where they can cover the Senkaku islands. The idea of having large patrol drones has been studied for the past year, and apparently Japan has decided that it’s a capability worth pursuing. This further implies that a Japanese Global Hawk purchase is imminent — that is, if the money can be found. Whether or not the United States — which is loathe to get involved in Japan’s territorial disputes — would use these drones to patrol disputed areas is another matter.

Finally, according to the Chosun Ilbo, Japan will also create a new cyberterrorism unit within the Ministry of Defense with 100 people to deal with Internet-based threats from abroad.

Thanks to Mike Yeo at The Base Leg and James Simpson for translation.

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