Japan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

asif iqbal

asif iqbal

Lieutenant General
Very interesting

Basically I can see JMSDF having the capability of a Marine Expeditionary Force lead by the Izumo

If they build 26DDH then I would call it a Carrier Strike Group

So far JMSDF in the next few years will have two very capable equivalents of a Amphibous assault task force with V-22 they have a great ability to land and retake islands in and around Japan

It would look like the following

1 x Izumo Class
1 x Hyuga Class
1-2 x Osumi Class
2-4 of the AEGIS DDG, Akizuki Class, Murasame Class
1 x Replenishment tanker
And a SSK

That's 8-10 world class warships right there
 
asif iqbal

asif iqbal

Lieutenant General
I just counted the number of warships above >2,500 tons the JMSDF has and I made it to be 45!

That's 45 major warships for Japan just shy of 1/4 million tons of warships

This does not include the

3 x Osumi Class
2 x Hyuga Class
1-2 x Izumo Class

Makes France and UK look like a back water navy!
 
Verum

Verum

Junior Member
asif iqbal said:
I just counted the number of warships above >2,500 tons the JMSDF has and I made it to be 45!

That's 45 major warships for Japan just shy of 1/4 million tons of warships

This does not include the

3 x Osumi Class
2 x Hyuga Class
1-2 x Izumo Class

Makes France and UK look like a back water navy!
Click to expand...

French and UK Navy were mainly used for guarding oversea colonies and serve as nuclear deterrence during the cold war, whereas the JSDMF was supposed to help US navy confront the mighty Soviet fleets in the vast Pacific. And unlike the French and the Anglo, like typical East Asian culture, the Japanese really knows how to save their money and use it properly. So they always have plenty funds for the navy.

But the single biggest factor to Japan's large naval fleet is China. The Japanese culture is always worried about and carries a sense of urgency towards everything, maybe it's because of the frequent earthquakes and tsunami, they're always thinking about "what if this or that happens to us?". As a result of that, coupled with the gradual rise after end of cold war and the recent explosive rise of China, and especially its scarily high military budget, Japan is now very WORRIED.

Not saying it's right or wrong, or to induce any flame wars, but just to point out a fact. After the end of WWII, Japan never truly apologized or admited to the invasion of China and other Asian countries, especially for the mass atrocities they have committed. As a result of it, all East Asian countries, especially China and the Koreas are still carrying deep sense of resentment and hatred towards Japan. Those ill feelings are carried over through all aspect of life, from media to commerce to politics. The Japanese military, especially the right wings, is scared China will retaliate down the road. Coupled with the evermore growing friction over territorial issues, the Japanese right winged society almost view China like the Americans view Russians durign the Cold War, "they want war and will attack". This is what really fuelling the Japanese military build up.

Another reason to Japan's build up, although not major, but always been a silent and firm factor, is the urge to normalize Japan as a fully autonomous country. Since the occupation of Japan, its political, economical, and even military had always been heavily controlled by the US. The biggest symbol to this control is the "lack" of a normal military. They never shouted it out, but anyone even with the slightest idea could spot it.
 
TerraN_EmpirE

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
Let's move on.
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U.S. To Help Japan Develop Littoral Warship
By Michael Fabey [email protected]
Source: AWIN First

March 08, 2014
Credit: U.S. Navy
While the Pentagon rethinks and restructures its Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the U.S. has agreed to help Japan develop its own coastal warship with similar attributes.

Recent Pentagon guidance directs the U.S. Navy to halt negotiations for any more LCS contracts less than halfway through the service’s proposed 52-ship buy, as the Defense Department reviews other options to make the vessels more lethal and survivable.

The headquarters for U.S. Forces in Japan confirms that the two countries will collaborate on a littoral warship. The initiative was first revealed in a statement from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The statement says Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Ambassador Caroline Kennedy “exchanged a document on March 4 in Tokyo concerning studies for joint development between the government of Japan and the United States for optimization of the high-speed littoral combat ship under the bilateral Mutual Defense Assistance (MDA) agreement,” according to an unofficial translation.

The exact details of what the warship would be are still sketchy. The U.S. State Department, which reportedly worked out the deal, did not reply to queries. The U.S. Navy and Defense Department said they were unaware of any such agreement, and the U.S. Embassy in Japan directed queries to the foreign affairs ministry.

The prime contractor for one of the LCS industry teams in the U.S., Lockheed Martin, said it knew nothing of the agreement. Austal USA, the lead of the other team, did not reply to a request for comment.

Asian press reports, however, indicate the ship could be a trimaran, which could make it similar in scope and design to the Austal LCS variant, which displaces roughly 3,000 tons and is an all-aluminum vessel steered by waterjets.

Both LCS versions are marked by their high speeds. They are being developed to perform countermine, antisubmarine and surface warfare missions, using interchangeable mission module packages to shift from one task to the other.

The shallow draft, quick speed and flexibility of the ships are deemed ideal for the Asia-Pacific region, regional naval analysts say.
Click to expand...
 
TerraN_EmpirE

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
Japan Draws Up Overhaul Of Arms-Export Ban
Mar. 13, 2014 - 02:21PM | By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE | Comments

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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gestures during a March 10 press conference in Tokyo.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gestures during a March 10 press conference in Tokyo. (Toshifumi Kitamura / AFP)
FILED UNDER
World News
Asia & Pacific Rim
TOKYO — Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has drawn up plans to overhaul the pacifist country’s self-imposed ban on arms exports, an official said Thursday, in a move that could anger China.

The government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has delivered the blueprint to lawmakers in his party and coalition partner New Komeito, according to an LDP official, with the premier looking for a green light from cabinet by the end of the month.

The relaxed rules could allow Tokyo to supply weaponry to nations that sit along important sea lanes to help them fight piracy and also help resource-poor Japan, which depends on mineral imports.

Japanese arms could potentially be shipped to Indonesia as well as nations around the South China Sea — through which fossil fuels pass — such as the Philippines, for example, which has a territorial dispute with Beijing.

The move would boost Japan’s defense industry amid simmering regional tensions including a territorial row with China, and fears over an unpredictable North Korea.

Japan already supplies equipment to the Philippines’ coast guard, an organization that is increasingly on the front line in the nation’s territorial rows with Beijing.

Any move to bolster that support with more outright weapon supplies could irk China, which regularly accuses Abe of trying to re-militarize his country.

China and Japan are at loggerheads over the ownership of a string of islands in the East China Sea, while Beijing is also in dispute with several nations over territory in the South China Sea, which it claims almost entirely.

Under its 1967 ban, Japan does not sell arms to communist nations, countries where the United Nations bans weapons sales, and nations that might become involved in armed conflicts.

The rule has long enjoyed widespread public support as a symbol of Japan’s post-war pacifism.

But it has been widely seen as impractical among experts, because it stops Japan from joining international projects to jointly develop sophisticated military equipment, such as jets and missiles.

In 2011 Tokyo eased the ban on arms exports, paving the way for Japanese firms to take part in multinational weapons projects.

Japan works with its only official ally the United States on weapon projects.

It also works with Britain, but it does not fully participate in multi-nation programs aimed at sharing development cost and know-how, because of the current ban.

The new rules may open the door to Japan’s broader participation in such projects.

But they would still “ban exports to countries involved in international conflicts,” and exports that would undermine international peace and security, Abe told parliament this week.

Japanese experts are divided over an overhaul, with some saying it is necessary for cutting defense costs, while others expressing concerns over tainting Japan’s peaceful image by expanding markets for the nation’s defense industry.
Click to expand...
Japanese military exports continue to move to reality.
 
FORBIN

FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
The 3rd and 4th Akizuki, Suzutsuki and Fuyuzuki are commissionned now the 12 and 13 March 2014.
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confirmed in Japanese version.

No homeport for the moment, because it is very recent

And 2 Hatsuyuki decommissioned the 13 march, Isoyuki and Haruyuki, on 12, 6 in service but 3 for training. The 2 was based at Sasebo.

No SSK Soryu for this year the 6th in 2015.
 
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