Japan Military News Thread

[Ambivalent]

Program schedule is directly proportional to the amount of money someone wants to spend to make it happen. Of course, there is the old saying "if you want it bad you'll get it bad" :-o

[Semi-Lobster]

Rise from your grave ancient thread! There's some rumours afoot!

Warplanes: Scorned Japan Turns To The Familiar F-2

Scorned Japan Turns To The Familiar F-2

July 28, 2010: Unable to buy the American F-22, and wary of the continuing delays (and rising costs) of the F-35 program, Japan has decided to buy another 50 locally made F-2s. This is a Japanese F-16 variant, with a 25 percent larger wing area and better electronics. The 22 ton F-2 carries nearly nine tons of bombs, has a top speed of 2,100 kilometers an hour, and a combat radius of 1,000 kilometers. This plane is twice as expensive (at $110 each) as the F-16, and part of that is due to the better electronics (like an AESA radar) but mostly this is due to higher production costs in Japan. The F-2 has been in service since 2000 and 98 have been built so far.

The F-2 pilots are well trained, although it wasn’t until three years ago that an F-2 was able to drop live bombs. This was because Japan has no training facility in its own territory for live bombings. Thus it's only when Japanese warplanes are flown to foreign training areas, that they can they practice using real bombs. For this practice bombing, the Japanese F-2 aircraft flew to an American air base in Guam, in the Central Pacific.

This Japanese policy is nothing new. In the last sixty years, there have been only three times where Japanese warplanes dropped live munitions. The rest of the time, they practice with inert munitions, and simulated (by computer) bombs. Japanese aircraft have not been in combat since World War II, so there's no way of knowing if their training practices have had an adverse effect on combat effectiveness.

Japan is concerned with the growing belligerence of China and North Korea, plus a simmering territorial dispute with Russia. So more warplanes are needed, just in case.

If this information is correct then not only is this a major development for reviving Mitsubishi military sectors which are nearly completely atrophied, but also the JASDF who know must structure their air force without the F-22 or F-35, F-X competition (why bother procuring a new type of fighter when F-2 production has resumed) and the F-35 program as a whole (if a major potential buyer like Japan is dropping out then what does that mean for other countries considering the F-35?)

[Semi-Lobster]

Another article on possibly more F-2s, this one is from a more reputable source than the first and gives a much more realistic timeline and number of aircraft

Japan Eyes Further Mitsubishi F-2 Procurement: AINonline

Japan Eyes Further Mitsubishi F-2 Procurement

By: David Donald
August 6, 2010
Military Aircraft, Defense

Japan could build more Mitsubishi F-2s while it decides on a future fighter. (Photo: U.S. Air Force)

Japan is examining the possibility of continuing production of the Mitsubishi F-2 to bolster its fighter fleet in the face of growing Chinese capability, adding some 20 aircraft to the 94 (plus four prototypes) currently procured. The Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) is looking for a new fighter and has stated a desire for the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, but U.S. export restrictions have ruled that out.

Lead competitors for the JASDF requirement are now the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), Eurofighter Typhoon and Boeing F/A-18E/F. If Japan cannot acquire F-22s, then the F-35 would be a logical choice, but Japan reportedly has concerns about the JSF’s timescale and growing costs. Procurement of additional F-2s would be an interim step to give Japan a longer period in which to make a decision.

The F-2 is an enlarged derivative of the Lockheed Martin F-16, initially developed to meet Japan’s support fighter requirement. That, in turn, entailed anti-ship capability through the integration of ASM-1/2 anti-ship missiles. Mitsubishi is the prime contractor and also builds the forward fuselage and wings. Other major partners are Kawasaki (center fuselage), Fuji (tail and other components) and Lockheed Martin (rear fuselage).

[Scratch]

Another BMD intercept occured last week over Hawaiian waters.
A japanese destroyer launche a SM-3 IA missiles to intercept a seperating 1000km class missile. The 3rd hit in 4 tries from japanese vessels.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69S0S120101029

U.S. and Japan stage successful missile-defense test

By Jim Wolf - WASHINGTON | Fri Oct 29, 2010 2:19am EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Japanese naval destroyer equipped with a Lockheed Martin Corp Aegis ballistic missile defense system carried out a successful flight-intercept test on Thursday in a "milestone" of growing cooperation, Japanese and U.S. forces announced. ...

[Semi-Lobster]

Japan eyes procuring F-35 fighters; gives up on more F-2 jets › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion

Japan eyes procuring F-35 fighters; gives up on more F-2 jets

Monday 08th November, 07:54 AM JST

TOKYO —

The Defense Ministry has set its sights on procuring the F-35 fighter as Japan’s main next-generation fighter aircraft for the Air Self-Defense Force, giving up on an earlier plan to buy more F-2 fighters, ministry and Self-Defense Forces sources said Sunday...

They were going to procure more F-2s.... but now they're not... again.

[PanAsian]

Does anyone know what the Google map co-ordinates for this island is?

I think some reports on the same story are also saying that Japan will place troops on several other islands as well which are similarly close to Taiwan and China (and far away from Japan's main islands).

Japan may place troops close to disputed islands
AFP, TOKYO

Tokyo is considering placing troops on a remote Japanese island in the East China Sea to monitor China’s expanded naval activities that have worried its neighbors, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported yesterday.

The defense ministry wishes to create a “coastal security surveillance team” with the main mission to radar-monitor Chinese naval activities, the newspaper said, citing ministry sources.

Japanese defense officials were considering placing about 200 troops on Yonaguni, Japan’s westernmost island, roughly 100km east of Taiwan, the paper said.

The Japanese military regularly sends patrol aircraft to the region, but has no permanent monitoring facility there, the report said.

However, a defense ministry official denied the report, saying no such decision has been made.

Increased Chinese naval activity has led Japan into mulling the deployment of more forces to its scattered southern islands and away from Cold War-era locations in the north near Russia.

In an incident on April 23, a large Chinese flotilla ventured near a group of disputed islands close to Okinawa in the East China Sea and sent out a helicopter that buzzed Japanese navy ships monitoring their movement. Tokyo lodged a protest with Beijing after the helicopter flew within 90m of one of its ships.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER

[Finn McCool]

Yonaguni is the last of the Ryukyus. It's very close to Taiwan as you can see.

Imageshack - yonaguni1.jpg

Yonaguni itself is very small. There's a landing strip. It's really only notable for having some underwater rock formations that some people claim are a man-made stone monolith.

Imageshack - yonaguni2.jpg

I've thought that the Japanese would increase their military presence in the southern Ryukyus for some time. It just makes sense from Japan's perspective. They have a nice arc of islands that hem in the East China Sea and provide them with a way of playing gatekeeper to a large portion of China's coastline.

[xywdx]

I've thought that the Japanese would increase their military presence in the southern Ryukyus for some time. It just makes sense from Japan's perspective. They have a nice arc of islands that hem in the East China Sea and provide them with a way of playing gatekeeper to a large portion of China's coastline.

Keeping a knife out of sight behind your back is often far more effective than waving a knife around openly.
Besides, how exactly are they supposed to play gatekeeper?
They cannot legally deny passage through their waters, if they tried then it will be an even bigger mess than Diaoyu island.

[Finn McCool]

Keeping a knife out of sight behind your back is often far more effective than waving a knife around openly.
Besides, how exactly are they supposed to play gatekeeper?
They cannot legally deny passage through their waters, if they tried then it will be an even bigger mess than Diaoyu island.

It gives the the opportunity to monitor the comings and goings of the PLAN and it would be a lot easier to deny passage in wartime.

[PanAsian]

[QUOTE=Finn McCool;130352]Yonaguni is the last of the Ryukyus. It's very close to Taiwan as you can see.

Imageshack - yonaguni1.jpg
QUOTE]

Thanks for the maps Finn. Just to clarify, roughly the right edge of the map is North? Wow, this island is far far South West of Okinawa.

Does anyone know if there is a Japanese or any country's Western Pacific equivalent of SOSUS?

[Finn McCool]

[QUOTE=PanAsian;130404]

Yonaguni is the last of the Ryukyus. It's very close to Taiwan as you can see.

Imageshack - yonaguni1.jpg
QUOTE]

Thanks for the maps Finn. Just to clarify, roughly the right edge of the map is North? Wow, this island is far far South West of Okinawa.

Does anyone know if there is a Japanese or any country's Western Pacific equivalent of SOSUS?

Yes. It's a couple hundred miles southwest of Okinawa. The Ryukyus and Japanese home islands are one contiguous mountain range. You could probably count the Kurils and Kamchatka in there too.

[ellyka112]

BLUEJACKET c'mon now..You were on the Hawk. Right? And you know the US is always holding excersises with the JSDF all the time. They have been for many years. This is no big deal. Some Neo-cons aren't happy unless they are stirring up trouble and publishing exaggerations....

Yes, on the Hawk we had many different scenarios during GQ drills, where ROC was also included. In any case, they can announce one thing and train for something different in mind... Being on "the tip of the spear" doesn't require one to know the bigger picture!
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[Scratch]

Japan is adjusting it's defense policy. They are moving away troops from the northern part of the country were the GSDF were to defend a soviet invasion.
Thos troops are then moved to the south of the country were Japan sees new hotspots emerging.
In the same token, Japan is also shifting focus from land to naval & possibly air forces. The # of subs will increase from 16 to 22. There might also be new air & sea units making the JSDF more mobile and expeditionary.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/17/wo...an.html?src=mv

Japan Announces Defense Policy to Counter China
By MARTIN FACKLER - Published: December 16, 2010

TOKYO — Japan announced a new defense policy on Friday that will respond to China’s rising military might by building more submarines and other mobile forces capable of defending Japan’s southernmost islands.
The new National Defense Program Guidelines are the biggest step yet in a decade-long shift away from cold war-era deployments of heavy tank and artillery units on the northern island of Hokkaido — to counter a now-vanished Soviet threat — and toward bolstering Japanese forces in the southern islands around Okinawa, where China’s navy has become a growing presence.
[...]
The new policy called for increasing the number of Japan’s submarines to 22 from the current 16, while reducing the number of tanks by a third to about 400. It also called for creating more mobile forces, which analysts have said could include creating new air and seaborne units that could quickly move to defend remote islands.
[...]
The guidelines also called for reconsidering Japan’s self-imposed ban on the export of weapons, a step that would make it easier for Japan to join other nations, and particularly the United States, in the joint development of expensive new weapons systems.
Japan has already joined the United States in developing new anti-missile systems. Friday’s guidelines called for deploying more Patriot interceptor missiles to shoot down ballistic missiles from North Korea, which has been developing missiles and nuclear weapons. ...

[Sirf_palot]

Quick question, does Article 9 prevent their jets from having Air to Ground armaments? Such as Mavericks and GBUs for close air support?

[Mr T]

Quick question, does Article 9 prevent their jets from having Air to Ground armaments? Such as Mavericks and GBUs for close air support?

Nope, the JASDF carries air-to-ground weapons. Article 9 wouldn't stop weapons like that being carried because they could be used to defend Japanese territory.