Japan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Jeff Head said:

Sorry, Jura. My apologies. I had to correct the date of my Aviation Week article from my last post. It was actually published September 2013 and not 2011. It is very recent info.

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The problem is the Advance Gun System / Long-Range Land-Attack Projectile project is behind schedule by a couple of years, isn't it? Check this: "Status
AGS manufacturing is underway at three facilities (Cordova, Alabama; Fridley,
Minnesota; and Louisville, Kentucky) and is on
track to meet the lead ship production schedule. LRLAP development and testing is also on track and the Critical Design Review is
planned for summer 2010. " p. 55 of NAVY PROGRAM GUIDE 2010 BUT "The next big milestone for the program is its Critical Design Review (CDR) in Q3 2013, 2 quarters later than was anticipated in early 2012." says the link from my previous post ...

I hope it's fair at this point to mention the European competitors:

SamuraiBlue said:

...There are some drawbacks with this kind of technology one of them being terminal speed will be relatively slow(slow supersonic or sub sonic in some cases) due to drag generated by the wings in which case it could be shot down with radar targeting anti-aircraft guns with proximity fuse. ...

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That's an interesting idea -- a gun shooting at another gun's bullets Would this work??

Jura said:

That's an interesting idea -- a gun shooting at another gun's bullets Would this work??

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It should since artillery shells are filled with explosives with an impact fuse. If a shrapnel hits the right spot it should detonate the artillery in mid-flight and even if it did not explode the wings would certainly be blown off and will drop short from it's target. Remember the artillery shell's speed would had be reduced considerably due to drag that provided lift to obtain the extended range. Without the wings the shell should drop like a rock.

SamuraiBlue said:

... Second, impact time of these shells will vary and will be difficult to calculate due to air resistance. Range will also vary due to wind conditions since it is a glider with no propulsion of it's own.

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I see. It seems the Vulcano (see ) will try to get round these problems by using the SCOUT round: "It is meant to be fired first at the beginning of a bombardment, to collect meteorological and atmospheric data along the whole trajectory to the target."

Google just gave me this interesting forum post:

Jura said:

That's an interesting idea -- a gun shooting at another gun's bullets Would this work??

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In Afghanistan and Iraq insurgents regularly attacked American operations bases particularly with mortars. To counter this American and allies first fortified there sleeping and living areas then they rolled in a trailer mounted version of the naval phalanx system.so yes you can shoot artillery with artillery.

TerraN_EmpirE said:

In Afghanistan and Iraq insurgents regularly attacked American operations bases particularly with mortars. To counter this American and allies first fortified there sleeping and living areas then they rolled in a trailer mounted version of the naval phalanx system.so yes you can shoot artillery with artillery.

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Do you know how efficient this was? I mean the percentage of mortar rounds shot down this way during one particular bombardment.

SamuraiBlue said:

...
I don't think Japan requires guns with that kind of range in either case which will likely conflict article 9 of the present constitution.

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I'll go wild now If somebody invaded one of those tiny uninhabited islands Japan claims, the next day the JMSDF ships could arrive and while 50 nm away and covered by their fancy radars and sonars, they'd hit that island 300 times in 25 minutes and then tell the invaders to leave or ... the gun will be reloaded LOL

Saddly I don't have statistics but I am guessing it worked well as after the us employed there's the Australian and British army's both bought units. And the Germans started development of a system that works along the same lines only using a 35mm cannon of European origin as opposed to a American made 20mm gattling gun. Still the best proven system for counter artillery is the Israeli American Iron dome counter barrage missile system.

Jura said:

I'll go wild now If somebody invaded one of those tiny uninhabited islands Japan claims, the next day the JMSDF ships could arrive and while 50 nm away and covered by their fancy radars and sonars, they'd hit that island 300 times in 25 minutes and then tell the invaders to leave or ... the gun will be reloaded LOL

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This is what you call an over kill of epic proportion. LoL
Seriously JSDF will probably take a denial strategy in which they will not allow landing to any of the island since it will get ugly fast once an adversary obtains a foothold.
JGSDF has attack helicopters which can be launched from any of the three heli-carriers.

SamuraiBlue said:

...
Seriously JSDF will probably take a denial strategy in which they will not allow landing to any of the island since it will get ugly fast once an adversary obtains a foothold.
...

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By the way, what do think about the buildup of Japanese amphibious force?

Quote, To strengthen protection of Japan’s outlying islands, the Defense Ministry will set up a preparatory force next fiscal year that will eventually become a Japanese version of the U.S. Marines, sources said. :

Quote, A thousand Japanese troops have been learning how to recapture territory in the face of enemy fire. While the shoreline may be California, the skills they are building could one day be used closer to home.

Another option would be to get that naval gun as I suggested