Japan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

25DD looks a little like a downgrade of the akizuki class. Half the VLS load, and only one helicopter as well!

The VLS load could be forgiven if it had one more helicopter, to fit its seeming ASW orientation. No doubt it will be a capable vessel, and I suppose if multiple 25DD work in conjunction with a hyuga or izumo LHA loaded with ASW choppers you will get a very strong ASW fleet.

Here is an eloquently written article about Japan's war potential and how Japan interprets her constitution.

Japan’s war potential and the case of the Izumo ‘destroyer

On 6 August 2013 the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) unveiled its new helicopter ‘destroyer’, the Izumo (22DDH).

Considerable media and diplomatic fuss has been made about this being an ‘aircraft carrier in disguise’, with potentially offensive applications. Some commentators have argued not only that the Izumo represents a provocation that could lead to military insecurity in East Asia, but that the Izumo also breaches Japan’s pacifist constitution.

The Izumo’s size (and the absence of a catapult and arresting gear) suggests, however, that the only fighter jets that can realistically be launched or recovered from the Izumo are those with short take-off vertical landing capabilities. The only candidate to fill such a role would be the ‘B’ variant of the F-35 Lightning II multi-role fighter.

While the Japanese government has ordered 42 of the conventional take-off and landing ‘A’ variant of the F-35 for the Air Self-Defence Force, the MSDF has no plans to purchase the F-35B. Assertions that the Izumo could ‘easily and swiftly’ be converted into a conventional aircraft carrier also ignore the complexity of Japanese politico-bureaucratic and defence planning processes related to actually getting an F-35B onto an MSDF ship. No self-respecting bureaucratic organisation would invest in a $1.2 billion piece of hardware specifically for the purpose of launching jump jets that may not materialise for many years, if at all..........for more

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I had the pleasure exchanging opinions concerning this matter with Corey at his blog. His in-sight on Japanese domestic as well as regional political situation is always interesting to hear and learn.

His blog is .

SamuraiBlue said:

Here is an eloquently written article about Japan's war potential and how Japan interprets her constitution.



I had the pleasure exchanging opinions concerning this matter with Corey at his blog. His in-sight on Japanese domestic as well as regional political situation is always interesting to hear and learn.

His blog is

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Click to expand...

Agree completely with this analysis.

There is ZERO chance that the Izumo or her sister will be used for the fixed wing air defense/srike role unless we see some F-35Bs appear in the Japanese Defense Budhet. And there are none.

If there ever are...then the "cat will be out of the bag," as we say here in America. Which also means, that the 26DDH proposal we have heard about, involving a specific version o the 22DDH design optimized for air defense will also not happen until the F-35B is budgeted...or until the Japanese build their own, which IMHO, is even less likely.

I'd kind of like to see them get the F-35B though, and bet at some point we will see some cross decking onto the Izumo from USMC F-35Bs in the future as we saw the MV-22 earlier this year.

Re: Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force receives first two Kawasaki P-1 MPA

Here is an interesting photo I found at another forum.



A side by side shot of P-8A and P-1.(With a US-2 in the back)

You can see the size is about the same with the P-8 having a sleeker profile compared to the P-1.

Some ti-bit about the P-1.

The P-X development project started from 2001, spending 3 years in design, 6 years in developing prototypes and testing for another 5 years which was concluded March this year. The total development cost for the two projects(P-X and C-X) totaled to 345 billion yen or about 3.5 billion dollars.

The irony of this project is unlike the US with a large aeronautics industry, Japan with it's small domestic industry base and a tight budget assigned Kawasaki Heavy Industry to develop two project(P-X & C-X) at once in which KHI developed common components for both project which shares 75% in terms of systems which adds up to 25% in weight. Some of the shared components are cockpit windows, outer wing, horizontal stabilizer, auxiliary power unit, cockpit panel, flight control system computer, anti collision light, and gear control unit. With this KHI was able to compress 25 billion yen within the budget. Something you don't hear much in present day military development projects.

As for price per unit the first four production model costs 17 billion yen or about 170 million US dollars. Japan is planning on constructing 70 units to replace the aging P-3C fleet and also the five EP-3, five OP-3C adding up to a total of 80 airframes.

Re: Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force receives first two Kawasaki P-1 MPA

SamuraiBlue said:

Here is an interesting photo I found at another forum.

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A side by side shot of P-8A and P-1. With a US-2 in the back.

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Now THAT is a truly GREAT shot. I have never seen the two, to date, side by side like that.

Both are going to be outstanding aircraft and will perform in the MPA role very well. Kudos to the Japanese for coming up with and producing their own very capable aircraft.

Re: Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force receives first two Kawasaki P-1 MPA

Why do they need a four engine plane? You don't need a fast plane for patrol

Re: Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force receives first two Kawasaki P-1 MPA

vincent said:

Why do they need a four engine plane? You don't need a fast plane for patrol

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Four engines does not necessarily mean, "fast." Particularly not in this application.

There are several reasons for four engines instead of two.

Proabably the most important one is redundancy and safety. If you lose one of four, or even two of four, you keep flyoing and make it home. You can only lose one engine in a two engine aircraft. If you lose two engines on the P-8 Posiedon you are going down. Losing two engines on the Japanese aircraft means it can still fly home.

Now, the US has chosen an engine with the highest rated safety and MTBF statistics available so they feel that the likelihood of even one engine failing is very remote...but when you factor in combat, the odds are clearly higher So the Japanese chose four engines.

Having four engines is not too unusual for military aircraft. the C-17 Globemaster, the C-141 Starlifter, the C-5 Galaxy, the RC-135 Rivet Joint, the KC-135 Stratotanker, the E-3 Sentry, the E-4 Nightwatch, the E-6 Mercury, the E-8 Joint Stars, the B1-B Lancer, the B-2 Spirit, the WC-135 Constant Phoenix. These are just some of the US four-engine jet miloitary aircraft in service today. The only one of those that is "fast" (relative to the others) is the B1-Band it's top speed is Mach 1.25 at altitude, less than Mach 1 at low atlitude where it was really designed to operate and penetrate.

This does not include the Russian Tupolev or Ilyushin aircraft, or others from other nations.

Anyhow, hoping this helps you understand why four engines for the Japanese Kawasaki P-1 MPA is not a bad or unusual thing.

Re: Japan's military build-up

Well, after finishing my today, that birngs me up to the Hyuga, the Takanami and the Hakuryu in the Hyuga group. Here's how that is looking:


I will add a Kongo class AEGIS, an Atago class AEGIS, and either another Takanami, or an Akizuki DDG if one comes out in 1/350 scale to complete the grouping.

My US group centered on the Enterprise CVN and my Chinese group centered on the Liaoning CV are finished, and the UK group centered on the Illustrious has a Daring DDG, a Duke class FFG, and an Astute SSN. I will add another Daring class, and another Duke class to finish that group.

Then its on to the French Group acentered on the Charels de Gaulle CVN, and the Russian group centered on the Kuznetsov, CV.

Re: Japan's military build-up

Nice ! the Soryu seems small, similar scale ?

Re: Japan's military build-up

FORBIN said:

Nice ! the Soryu seems small, similar scale ?

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All are 1/350 scale...same scale.

The Soryu Class is small compared to both the DDH and DDG.

Soryu - 275 ft long.
Takanami - 495 ft. long
Hyuga - 646 ft. long