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Japan displays naval power

dimensionallava

dimensionallava

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Japan has showcased its naval strength, including Tokyo’s latest helicopter carrier Izumo. The commander of the US Third Fleet, which was recently given a greater role in the western Pacific, visited the event.

The Fleet Review of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) is held every three years. The display held on Sunday in Sagami Bay, southwest of Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, featured an armada of carriers, cruisers, destroyers and submarines.

The highlight of the show was Japan’s new 250 meter long helicopter carrier, the Izumo, the biggest warship Japan has built since World War II. Japan designates it a ‘helicopter destroyer’ rather than carrier to comply with the country’s pacifist constitution that renounces war and the threat of force as means to settle international disputes. Technically the country has no military and for numerous years, has not been building aircraft carriers, which are needed to wage war far from home soil.
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https://www.rt.com/news/318992-japan-fleet-review-navy/
 
I am sure Japan's show here is for the interest of showing China what they have, not that China would be concerned anyway.
 
I wouldn't underestimate Japan.
 
Japan has a VERY powerful navy.

But their economy is slowly dying - along with their population as it is starting to actually shrink in number.

Japan had better stop the economic decline or they simply will not be able to afford their large navy.
 
Luftwaffe said:
Until Japan stops being a ***** and decides to construct nukes, they'll always be militarily and politically insignificant.
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Article 9 of Japan's Constitution reads as follows: 1. Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes
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Until they change this, that won't happen. But you can bet your ass that Japan could build a nuke.
 
jmotivator said:
I know we do. But I wouldn't count them as "naval power". They are support and defense ships, primarily.
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I don't know where you're going with this. All I said was don't underestimate Japan. They do have the largest defensive fleet in the area. It's not just a couple of dingies. They don't need a big Navy, they have us. China will not directly **** around with Japan to the point we show up.
 
American said:
I don't know where you're going with this. All I said was don't underestimate Japan. They do have the largest defensive fleet in the area. It's not just a couple of dingies. They don't need a big Navy, they have us. China will not directly **** around with Japan to the point we show up.
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I was just commenting on the oddity of equating displaying a support ship with "displaying naval power". It isn't a comment on the Japanese navy, juston the headline.
 
jmotivator said:
I was just commenting on the oddity of equating displaying a support ship with "displaying naval power". It isn't a comment on the Japanese navy, juston the headline.
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They are rather formidable for a defensive Navy. I'd say they are armed to the teeth right up to the line of where they are forbidden.
 
jmotivator said:
I would question the offensive capabilities of a helicopter carrier, though...
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I bet the JMSDF helicopter carriers were "theoretically" designed to carry the F-35 Lightning (elevators, fueling points, munitions storage, deck space etc) should the need suddenly arise. Coincidently, Japan also intends to purchase the plane.
 
Cryptic said:
I bet the JMSDF helicopter carriers were "theoretically" designed to carry the F-35 Lightning (elevators, fueling points, munitions storage, deck space etc) should the need suddenly arise. Coincidently, Japan also intends to purchase the plane.
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They would need the f35b and upgrade the flight deck to handle the heat from the jets engine. I don't think japan has current plans to buy the b variant

https://www.quora.com/Can-Japans-Iz...er-operate-F-35B-planes-on-it-if-yes-how-many

Japan would be better served with long range strike fighters then the F35B operating from those carriers. For anything with a further range they could use cruise missiles
 
OrphanSlug said:
I am sure Japan's show here is for the interest of showing China what they have, not that China would be concerned anyway.
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China is a continental power not a naval power.

China also has a massive air force with 1,400 fighter jets and 150 bombers.

China will soon have 2 of 3 planned aircraft carriers.

At sea China and Japan are fairly evenly matched. Neither is a significant naval power.

It used to be that Germany, Japan, UK and the USA were the 4 major naval powers at the turn of the Century 1900.

The USA is the only one left now of those 4.
 
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American said:
I don't know where you're going with this. All I said was don't underestimate Japan. They do have the largest defensive fleet in the area. It's not just a couple of dingies. They don't need a big Navy, they have us. China will not directly **** around with Japan to the point we show up.
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Correct.

All the contiguous and island nations that surround the USA have little to fear -- the USA would be there in a heartbeat same as the Soviets used to do with their own buffer states.

Canada, Mexico, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, UK -- these are all under the US umbrella.
 
jmotivator said:
I was just commenting on the oddity of equating displaying a support ship with "displaying naval power". It isn't a comment on the Japanese navy, juston the headline.
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Privateers were private merchant ships equipped with weaponry during the Napoleonic Wars, authorized to fight for a specific country. Naval power lies with who controls the seas, not which type of ship implements this.
 
Cryptic said:
I bet the JMSDF helicopter carriers were "theoretically" designed to carry the F-35 Lightning (elevators, fueling points, munitions storage, deck space etc) should the need suddenly arise. Coincidently, Japan also intends to purchase the plane.
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When the helicopter carrier becomes an F-35 carrier then it's no longer a helicopter carrier. :)
 
le bouffon said:
Privateers were private merchant ships equipped with weaponry during the Napoleonic Wars, authorized to fight for a specific country. Naval power lies with who controls the seas, not which type of ship implements this.
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I think you need to reread what you wrote.

Also, you aren't going to control the seas with a heli-carrier.
 
Lord Tammerlain said:
They would need the f35b and upgrade the flight deck to handle the heat from the jets engine. I don't think japan has current plans to buy the b variant

https://www.quora.com/Can-Japans-Iz...er-operate-F-35B-planes-on-it-if-yes-how-many

Japan would be better served with long range strike fighters then the F35B operating from those carriers. For anything with a further range they could use cruise missiles
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The decks could probably be upgraded very quickly by installing heat resistant tiles on key parts. I can see your point about just using long range land based fighters to provide fleet coverage. One columnist I read said that the best fighter option for Japan would be to build more ultra advanced, long range F-15 strike eagles.

At the same time, I remember from my National Guard days being told that the only thing that can defeat a well trained and well supported tanks is to put "tank on tank". My guess is that the same rational applies to the navy with carriers ie- The only way to truly provide fleet coverage against a carrier threat is to have your own carriers.

More and more countries realize that they cannot absolutely depend on the US, NATO or UN to deter agression. Thus US carriers may, or may not sail to Japan's rescue. Rather, they must be prepared to go it alone or have a credible detterent of their own. My guess is that Japan orders some F-35bs (of course, they will only for be for uhmm...... "theoretical" use on small outying islands with no runways ;) )
 
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