JAPAN RE ARMEMENT

 

Few people have noticed, but Japan's armed forces have become as strong as they were during WWII, This is a hard fact since 2018, this game changer has occurred over several years and in a quiet manner

When the second World War was over, Japan was prohibited for having military weapons,

(airplanes carriers, long range bombers, missiles) which would allow for any further attacks.

Today, Japan's military Navy has 20 attack submarines, and 39 ballistic subs (8 of which being equipped with the Aegis combat system). It also deploys 3 Helicopters carriers. Further the Japanese government has decided to equip itself with an aircraft carrier. The Japanese aircraft carrier is planned to play a defensive role, such as the elimination of an immediate threat. Critics note that once it is deployed, no one will be able to stop it from being used in an offensive role.

Japan's negociations with the USA shows that they wish to replace 107 of their older planes, (F4 and F15) with the new generation F35A. They also wish to procure themselves with 40 F35B, which is the naval version of the plane, capable of vertical take off and landing...

The Japanese Navy has recently added two Destroyer/Helicopter carriers of the Izumo Class to their fleet.

Each ship weighs 27thousand tons and has a length of 248 meters (roughly 275yds).  They are equipped with anti-sub and anti-ship systems, and have the capacity to carry 400 Naval infantry and their equipment. These ships can easily be adapted to the operation of 18 F35B each, instead of Helicopters, giving them capabilities similar to the US's Wasp or America class landing crafts.

All what was necessary for Japan to arm itself with the capacity of an expeditionary force, was to  expand their own Navy. This became a reality in April 2018 with the establishment of the Military Brigade  ARDB, based in Sasebo, near Nagasaki.

Japan has now an antidote to hostile landings and foreign aircraft carrier groups. Yet, as China, North Korea and Russia are all Nuclear capable. Japan has concluded that their interlink with the US ballistic defense, and American reassurances are not sufficient, to alleviate the threat of missiles attacks against its own territory, specially potential Nuclear attacks.

Japan's decision to strengthen their own defense is natural and not surprising. Japanese are using their very advanced technology to fill the existing gap. The special relationship between Donald Trump and the late prime minister Abe were a corner stone of this evolution. Japan understands that in a last resort, it should count on itself for its own defense and that of their allies. China is certainly not pleased by this development, but Taiwan is. Taiwan feels a lot more comfortable dealing with their old Japanese friends rather than an unstable American ally, who might be tempted to use them as a proxy in a conflict with China.

This is a hard lesson from the current conflict taking place in Ukraine. The Taiwanese want to remain at peace, they do not want a CCP diktat, but they also do not wish to be pawns to the chicken hawks in Washington DC