Japan’s Navy: Sailing Towards the Future

The Diplomat ^ | January 21, 2013 | James Hardy

[sukhoi-30mki]

Japan’s Navy: Sailing Towards the Future

While China's growing naval power grabs headlines, Japan's evolving navy might just be the real story.

While Japan's dispute with China over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands has been notable for a number of reasons — mostly negative — one of the few positive elements has been the refusal of either side to send in the military. That may have changed with the recent deployment of Chengdu J-10 and Mitsubishi/Boeing F-15 fighter aircraft after a Chinese Y-8 maritime patrol aircraft headed toward the islands, but so far, at least, the confrontations have been limited to coast guard and other maritime paramilitary organizations.

For military strategists – and defense journalists – that means we are still in the dark as to how the two countries' navies would handle such a contingency. China's development into a full spectrum, blue-water navy is well catalogued, whether it is the commissioning of its Type 071 landing platform docks (LPDs), new Type 52D frigates, Type 51A destroyers or Liaoning, its Kusnetsov-class aircraft carrier. But what about Japan?

Back in October 2012, James Holmes argued convincingly that Japan had a “Cold War navy” designed to fill specific niches in a mutually beneficial partnership with the United States.“Under the division of labor worked out between the two navies, the U.S. Navy supplied the offensive firepower, manifest in aircraft carriers and other high-end implements of war. The defensive-minded JMSDF [Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force] acted as a gapfiller, making itself proficient at niche missions like minesweeping, anti-submarine warfare, and offensive submarine warfare."

I'm not about to argue with that assessment, which brings us to the next point: is Japan doing anything to change this situation, and if so,

[sukhoi-30mki]

CGI of 22DDH and Hyuga helicopter carriers

[Forward the Light Brigade]

Time to worry is when they change the name back to “the Imperial Navy” and they launch real flat tops.

[MuttTheHoople]

Frat tops?

[ClearCase_guy]

Tora! Tora! Tora!

or

Toga! Toga! Toga!

[Freeport]

Yep! 19,500 tones is big enough to house a few F-35B's. With the Chinese Navy going blue water, maybe it is time to reconsidder a Japanese one.

The short helicopter carrier is the Japanese Hyuga-class Helicopter Destroyer.

Images courtesy of: http://www.freewebs.com/jeffhead/worldwideaircraftcarriers/22ddh.htm

[mosesdapoet]

Thanks for the work

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

War over sea becomes impossible if the enemies’ ships cannot traverse the distance without being destroyed. This was the very purpose of the submarine, over a hundred years ago.

But like high performance aircraft and bombers, who have not completely replaced the manned variety for good reasons, the trend is to unmanned submersibles and surface craft.

Already the US has a large number of slightly larger than a torpedo craft, that travel great distances while consuming minimal energy, by using the heat and cold of different water layers. Were these equipped with warheads and selective passive search capability, they would make a large area of ocean impassable to enemy surface craft or submarines.

And there are numerous varieties of other craft in development.

[jttpwalsh]

I am of two minds, here. On the one hand, with their proud naval tradition, Japan would be a great ally, vs. The Communist Chinese. On the other hand, having Japan return to their militaristic ways is the opening of Pandora’s Box. Hopefully, King Solomon will return, with a wise decision.