Which one?
The one up front that we can clearly see is an Atago class (In fact the 178 is the JDS Ashigara, 2nd of the Atago class). It's a little bigger than the Kongo class and has the hanger for the helos...like a US Flight IIA.
I think the 1st one behind the Carrier may be a Kongo, but cannot make out enough of the sensors on the mast to tell, because all we can see is the mast back there.
Verum
Junior Member
Are there any info on the successor of Atago class yet? It will be based on Flight III of Arleigh Burke for sure, which itself will start construction around 2016. Now it's already 2014, they must have already started the program. Those warships take a long time to study/absorb and then to modify.
Well, before they go there they have already announced the building of two more Atago DDGs.
The funding for those two vessels will be in 2015 and 2016 respectively, which means they will start building in 2016 and 2017 respectively, launch in 2018 and 2019 and be commissioned in 2019 and 2020.
This will give Japan eight AEGIS class destroyers of 9,000 and 10,000 tons.
I believe the two new Atagos will essentially be very much like the two existing ones and will have whatever AEGIS upgrades for BMD and such. At that point, after 2020, the first Kongo Class DDG will be thirty years old. In that time frame we will see the successor design for those first four vessels coming forward, and I imagine it will be based on the Flight III design, particularly with the AMDR.
Right you are.
After getting home I was able to take a look more closely on my home computer with better software. Any thoughts on what the fourth vessel is? I think it may be a Takanami.
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This is one of those indicators I have talked about for Japan with respect to its Imuzo class carriers, and any follow on classes they consider.
Apparently It is being reported, that in addition to the 42 F-35A aircraft that the Japanese Ministry of Defense is basically committing too for the JSF, that they are also considering another rpurchase now to include J-35B aircraft.
IMHO, that would clench their plans to use the Izumo class and follow on carriers for carrying a squadron or two of F-35Bs.
The March 2014 Combat Air uses the USNI article by Kyle Mizokami , , for the information about this potential deal. That article was published earlier in United States Naval Institute News.
In that article is states:
That article links to another article from English.news.cn, . that says the following about this considered purchase:
So, it sounds like they are considering such a purchase...which in itself is BIG news...but we cannot, based on these sources, that they have finalized such a purchase at this point.
But it sure bears watching. Because if it transpires, this is the type of thing we will see in the Western Pacific as a result of it:
Apparently It is being reported, that in addition to the 42 F-35A aircraft that the Japanese Ministry of Defense is basically committing too for the JSF, that they are also considering another rpurchase now to include J-35B aircraft.
IMHO, that would clench their plans to use the Izumo class and follow on carriers for carrying a squadron or two of F-35Bs.
The March 2014 Combat Air uses the USNI article by Kyle Mizokami , , for the information about this potential deal. That article was published earlier in United States Naval Institute News.
In that article is states:
USNI-Japan's New Defense Plan said:
That article links to another article from English.news.cn, . that says the following about this considered purchase:
English.news.cn said:
So, it sounds like they are considering such a purchase...which in itself is BIG news...but we cannot, based on these sources, that they have finalized such a purchase at this point.
But it sure bears watching. Because if it transpires, this is the type of thing we will see in the Western Pacific as a result of it:
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asif iqbal
Lieutenant General
Jeff how many flat tops will we have in Asia check this out
2 + 2 from Russia
4 from Japan
1 from South Korea
And 2 from Austrailia
9 possibly 11 flat tops from nations barring China and India and AEGIS DDG to go with them
Now if Japan builds more and South Korea does the number we are talking a lot of flat tops!!
2 + 2 from Russia
4 from Japan
1 from South Korea
And 2 from Austrailia
9 possibly 11 flat tops from nations barring China and India and AEGIS DDG to go with them
Now if Japan builds more and South Korea does the number we are talking a lot of flat tops!!
Well, let's talk with what are absolutely confirmed plans, or vessels already in existence:
Japan will have:
2 x Izumo
2 x Hyuga
3 x Osumi
Russia will have:
2 x Vladivostok (The second 2 are not a for sure thing yet)
Korea will have:
2 x Dokdo
India will have:
1 x Vikramaditya
1 x Vikrant
Australia will have:
2 x Canberra
China will have:
1 x Liaoning
2 x Follow-on
The US will have (forward deployed/on station in the Western Pacific or Indian Ocean):
2 x Nimitz
1 x Wasp
Also, we have the one small carrier from Thailand:
1 x Naruebet
That's a total of 22 carrier or carrier type vessels in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean areas. Lots of them.
Zool
Junior Member
I have been reading reports on internal discussions within the Japanese MOD which appear counter to this. One made public as early as last week, which indicates appropriations for the initial F-35A's are still in flux. Ironically, the "Abenomics" policies of the last couple years have compounded the issue.
Cheers,
Zool
asif iqbal
Lieutenant General
Japan has already allocated money for the aircraft