Japan Builds Response to Chinese Area-Denial Strategy

[Armstrong]

Long for the day I see our carriers in fleet screen operations and exercises with the Vikramāditya and other support ships.

With the Indians ? What if I accidentally target the Japanese Carrier with my Anti-Ship Missiles while I'm sitting in my personal Submarine fitted with vintage leather seats and an overstocked minibar ?

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

We should get soryua class for our diesel sub requirement but too late alas.

 

[kyle Chiang]

Glad to hear "Chinese Area-Denial Strategy" instead of the fairy tale name "the asia-pacific rebalancing".

 

[Tshering22]

North Korea tipped the balance with building nukes and continuing to build better ballistic missiles.
either Japan or South Korea needs to be a nuclear armed power to counter that, or China should force North Korea to denuclearize.

For that, your government should stop being so paranoid and let Japan free up towards militarization.

Ever since the Postdam Declaration, you lot have kept them subdued and now when you cannot guarantee protection to them against a rival, they are left with limited strategic assets to keep a deterrent.

Abe has tried everything to re-militarize but the pressure against militarization through 'other' means is extremely high.

You don't want to take China head-on, but what if Japan is forced to tomorrow with no options? They don't have ballistic missiles, they don't have aircraft carriers and despite a very strong navy, their strategic deterrence is very very limited.

We should get soryua class for our diesel sub requirement but too late alas.

It will take Japan some more time to shake up the apprehension about supplying to a nuclear armed nation like us. The reason why it sold the Soryu class subs to Australia is because it is a signatory to NPT. I agree that Japan may finally be convinced in the near future that we are their friends and will never harm their country, but the political apprehension there runs high.

Even with a dominant and friendly leader like Abe-san, supplying submarines with TOT so soon would be difficult. We need to make conventional subs in India. Sending this much of TOT outrightly to us all of a sudden will not bode well with the Americans either, who despite limited control of Japan, continue to pressure it vigorously on various issues.

So far, we have approached the whole military build up from the opposite side. Rather than starting with basics, we have always gone for the tougher thing first and then forgotten to get the basic stuff right, example; lack of assault rifle versus IRBMs or even Arihant class nuke sub versus no indigenous conventional attack submarine.

 

[birju]

Japan has a spectacular maritime surveillance, ASh and ASW capability in the form of about 90+ P-3 Orion aircraft and a superb submarine force of 16 latest conventional submarines. Japan needs to focus as much on air force as the navy.

with a 5.5 trillion dollar economy and a matching defence budget, it can easily replace all remaining 100 or so vintage but modernized F-4 phantom aircraft within a few years and should refurbish 200+ F-15s with the latest stuff and AESA radars. Japan should also consider purchasing at least 200 F-35s or their own stealth fighter beginning 2020 till 2030.

WONDER WHY the Japanese have not yet started refurbishing their 1980s ERA F-15s with AESA radars yet.

it has a stupendous healthcare budget which can be easily trimmed to free more than 50 billion dollars for increasing the defence budget.

 

[Sam Manekshaw]

the proper response would be for Japan to build nuclear warheads and a few SSBNs

i think they don't need that...and why they need nuclear warhead when they are ally of USA?

 

[Tshering22]

Japan has a spectacular maritime surveillance, ASh and ASW capability in the form of about 90+ P-3 Orion aircraft and a superb submarine force of 16 latest conventional submarines. Japan needs to focus as much on air force as the navy.

with a 5.5 trillion dollar economy and a matching defence budget, it can easily replace all remaining 100 or so vintage but modernized F-4 phantom aircraft within a few years and should refurbish 200+ F-15s with the latest stuff and AESA radars. Japan should also consider purchasing at least 200 F-35s or their own stealth fighter beginning 2020 till 2030.

WONDER WHY the Japanese have not yet started refurbishing their 1980s ERA F-15s with AESA radars yet.

it has a stupendous healthcare budget which can be easily trimmed to free more than 50 billion dollars for increasing the defence budget.

As per their Article 9 of the Japanese constitution (US designed), they cannot formally militarize and function as a 'normal' country. Meaning that they can only be engaged in non-military activities outside Japan and only respond to assault on their territory.

Even if Abe does everything to be more independent, he cannot completely de-link from US as American hold on Japanese government is too strong.

It will take some time before Japan can actually turn around and say 'NO' to something that US orders.

@Nihonjin1051 san has been kind enough to enlighten me on how Japan is progressing towards total military and strategic independence in the next decade or so.

You can ask him.

 

[Aepsilons]

New Izumo-class carriers to greatly boost Japan’s force projection


Japan's new Izumo-class helicopter carrier currently undergoing sea trials is expected to be commissioned in 2015. The new carrier will dramatically increase Japan's force projection in the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, raising concern in China

The new Izumo-class helicopter carrier is undergoing extensive sea trials since late September, in preparation of the acceptance of the new carrier by Japan’s Self Defense Forces Navy.

JDS Izumo helicopter carrier is the first of two 30,000 ton (full load) Izumo-class ‘helicopter carrier destroyer’ (DDH) class vessels to be commissioned next year. Unveiled last month at the Yokohama port, south of Tokyo, JS-183 Izumo, is the biggest warship in Japan’s fleet since World War II, has been described by the Chinese media as an “aircraft-carrier in disguise”. Although the is configured with a large flight deck and hangars, designed to accommodate up to 28 helicopters, Izumo does not have catapults or arresting cables nor a ‘ski jump’ curved deck, assisting short take off of conventional aircraft. The Japanese Navy is highlighting the vessels’ ability to quickly respond to emergency or natural disasters.

The construction of the first ship of the class began in 2011 at an IHI Marine United shipyard in Yokohama, at a cost of $1.5 billion (113.9 billion yen). Commissioning of the first of class is currently scheduled for 2015 with the second ship of the class, yet unnamed, to follow in 2017.

Once commissioned, these Izumo-class vessels will more than double the current anti-submarine, anti-ship, and amphibious assault capabilities of the Chinese Navy, over the current force consisting of two helicopter carriers, operating the Shirane-class helicopter carrying destroyers, accommodating 9-10 helicopters. Those vessels are planned for decommissioning soon.

The Japanese navy also operates two 20,000 ton Hyūga-class helicopter destroyers – Hyūga and Ise, commissioned in 2009 and 2011. Each is configured to carry up to 18 helicopters. These vessels typically operate three SH-60K and one MCH-101 mine sweeping helicopters. Hyūga class carriers are also equipped with Mk 41 VLS common launcher, armed with ESSM anti-air and ASROC anti-submarine weapons. Izumo class has more sensors and electronic warfare assets, designed for anti-submarine warfare and border-area surveillance missions, its self-defense capabilities are limited to close-in weapon systems (CIWS) such as the PHALANX and SEARAM.

Japanese Navy Ship JS Hyuga. Photo: USMC

In addition to the larger capacity, the flight of JDS Izumo deck has 5 helicopter landing spots enabling simultaneous landings or take-offs. On deployments JS Izumo will carry a typical complement of 14 helicopters, seven ASW helicopters and two SAR helicopters. In addition, the ship will be able to transport 400 marines, 50 trucks and supplies.

Some analysts have speculated the Izumo could be adapted to carry F-35B (STOVL) and V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, but sofar official Japanese authorities have not addressed these speculations. A similar platform designed to operate those aircraft is twice as large as the Izumo – American LHA-6 – USS America – has recently been commissioned with the US Navy.

JDS 183 Izumo seen at the Yokohama port in Japan, August 2014.


New Izumo-class carriers to greatly boost Japan’s force projection | Defense Update: