Quote:
Originally Posted by Llarry
The Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (Navy) has taken a slow but deliberate path to an aircraft carrier capability over the past decade-plus.
|
The JMSDF carriers are emblematic of how Japan has developed a large and high-quality Navy over the past years. Japan's constitution, largely dictated by the Allied victors after World War II,
prohibits the maintenance of military forces; thus the name "Self Defense Force" in an effort to get around that prohibition. The Japanese government has gradually come to the conviction that military forces, whatever the name, are necessary in an era of a belligerent China and North Korea, but is moving very slowly given the constitution and considerable public pacifist sentiment.
The two Izumo-class "DDHs" were preceded by two smaller DDHs, which were also quite large but probably not suitable for F-35B fighters.
A particularly important component of the fleet are the AEGIS missile destroyers, which -- like their American counterparts -- have a considerable capability against ballistic missiles.
The old adage holds that a combatant that looks good is good, and the Japanese warships are among the most attractive anywhere.
The JMSDF submarine force is also state-of-the-art, and the latest classes use lithium-ion batteries. Given Japanese sensitivities to nuclear power (Hiroshima, Fukushima #3, etc.) there has been some debates about building nuclear-powered submarines, but so far the sub force is all Diesel-electric. (Note that the Japanese government permits an American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be based in Japan and does not object to port visits by nuclear-powered submarines.)
The fleet does not lack auxiliary ships, including modern underway replenishment ships to sustain the combatants at sea. There are also research, training and mine warfare ships. All in all, the JMSDF is a well-balanced professional force.
The JMSDF has a sizeable air arm. P-3C patrol aircraft are being gradually replaced by Japanese-designed and -built Kawasaki P-1 jet patrol aircraft. There are a large number of Japanese license-produced SH-60 ASW helicopters as well as AW101 helicopters. It will be interesting to see whether the F-35Bs on order ultimately end up as JMSDF assets -- ostensibly they have been ordered for the JASDF.