Japan's Navy Shows Off Its Newly Updated Aircraft Carrier

JS Kaga at sea trials (JMSDF photo)  

Newsweek: US Ally Shows Off Navy's Newly Updated Aircraft Carrier 

Japan has published new pictures of a navy destroyer currently undergoing modifications to become one of the country's first aircraft carriers since World War II. 

The photographs released on December 25 showed the JS Kaga, an Izumo-class destroyer, during sea trials at an undisclosed location. The flat-top warship is being converted from a helicopter carrier into a light aircraft carrier, which will host fifth-generation fighter aircraft designed in the United States. 

Tokyo, the U.S.'s most important ally in Asia, is rearming with American support as both industrial powers look to boost their defenses amid shared security challenges posed by Beijing and Pyongyang.  

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Update: Japan puts helicopter carrier Kaga on sea trials after major modifications to operate the F-35B fighter jets (Naval News)  

WNU Editor: The Chinese are showing off their aircraft carrier .... China's Aircraft Carrier Heads South Amid Tensions With US Ally (Newsweek).

Veteran Submariners Explain What Might Have Caused A Cargo Ship And A Japanese Submarine To Collide

 

Warzone/The Drive: Veteran Submariners Explain What Might Have Caused Japanese Submarine Collision 

Despite all the technology at their disposal, for a submarine crew, the simple act of surfacing can sometimes be fraught with danger. 

Since our initial report on the collision between the Japanese submarine Soryu and a cargo ship in the Pacific Ocean yesterday, The War Zone has heard a number of interesting theories as to what happened, including from veteran submariners. To get a better understanding of what might have gone wrong during this routine exercise in the waters off the island of Shikoku, we spoke to a former U.S. Navy officer who served aboard submarines extensively and who also worked as a navigation safety instructor. We also asked the opinion of our friend and contributor, Aaron Amick, a veteran sonarman with two decades of experience aboard U.S. Navy submarines. 

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Previous Post: Japanese Submarine Collides With Chinese Commercial Ship While Surfacing In Pacific (February 8, 2021) 

WNU Editor: My gut tells me that the crew aboard the Japanese submarine Soryu are very lucky that only 3 sailors were slightly injured.

Japanese Submarine Collides With Chinese Commercial Ship While Surfacing In Pacific

Pictured: A photo taken from a helicopter shows workers inspecting the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force submarine Souryu after the crash on Monday, off Kochi port in the western Japan main island of Shikoku on Feb. 9, 2021 

Daily Mail: Hapless Japanese submarine crew have to use MOBILE PHONE to call for help after they surface underneath commercial tanker, smashing radio mast 

 * Three of the crew members of the 'Soryu' submarine suffered minor injuries in the collision on Monday 

 * The vessel crashed into a Chinese commercial ship, officials said on Monday, identified as the Ocean Artemis

 * It was in the process of surfacing near Japan's south-western island of Shikoku but did not see the other ship 

 * The submarine temporarily lost communications after the mast was damaged, destroying the radio 

A hapless Japanese submarine crew were forced to use a mobile phone to call for help after they surfaced underneath a Chinese commercial tanker, destroying their radio mast in the process. 

The crew of the Japanese navy's 275-foot 'Soryu' submarine suffered minor injuries, while the submarine suffered damage to its mast, Japanese defence officials said on Monday. 

The Soryu was in the process of surfacing about 27 nautical miles south of Cape Ashizuri on Japan's south-western island of Shikoku when it collided with the commercial ship, the Maritime Self-Defence Force said. 

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WNU Editor: The damage is extensive .... Japan submarine collision left more damage than initially thought (Kyodo News). 

 More News On Monday's Japanese Submarine Collision With A Chinese Commercial Ship 

Check Out The Damage To This Japanese Submarine After It Collided With A Cargo Ship -- Warzone/The Drive 

Japanese submarine's radio knocked out in crash with commercial ship -- Nikkei Asian 

Japanese submarine crashes into commercial ship from Hong Kong -- UPI 

Japanese submarine collides with commercial ship while surfacing in Pacific -- CNN 

Japan submarine collides with commercial ship while surfacing: report -- FOX News 

Japanese Sub Collides With Chinese Vessel, Exactly 20 Years After Ehime Maru Tragedy -- Taiwan Times 

Photos Show Japanese Sub Mangled by Collision With Cargo Ship -- Sputnik

Japan Considers Building Two Super-Sized Destroyers

Warzone/The Drive: Japan Considers Building Two Super-Sized Destroyers As An Alternative To Aegis Ashore 

The two new warships are planned to combine a development of the Maya class hull with the AN/SPY-7 Long Range Discrimination Radar. 

Reports from the Japanese media say that the government is looking into the feasibility of procuring two new “super-destroyers” as an alternative to the pair of land-based Aegis Ashore systems, work on which was suspended earlier this year amid technical issues, rising costs, and domestic criticism. 

The new warships would also be focused on missile defense, primarily to defend against North Korean ballistic missiles, and equipped with a version of the Aegis combat system utilizing the Lockheed Martin AN/SPY-7 Long Range Discrimination Radar originally intended for the Aegis Ashore sites. 

Plans reportedly call for the Japanese Ministry of Defense to receive an interim report on the proposed destroyers in mid-November, before the government decides whether or not to proceed before the end of the year. One report from Nikkei Asia suggests that the plan is likely to be given the go-ahead. 

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WNU Editor: The Japanese have been accelerating the build-up of their military in recent years. Having Aegis systems that can intercept enemy missiles is one of their priorities, and having these ships that everyone is confident can perform these duties is why they will be procured.

China Is Focused On Japan's 'Aircraft Carriers'

'Izumo' and her escorts. Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force

Forbes: Japan’s Building Aircraft Carriers, China’s Thinking About Sinking Them

The Japanese navy’s first aircraft carrier in 75 years is almost ready to deploy. A photo that appeared on Twitter on Wednesday depicts the helicopter carrier Izumo undergoing modification for fixed-wing operations, apparently at the Japan Marine United shipyard in Yokohama.

The Chinese military has already considered how it might sink the Japanese carriers. Which is not to say it would succeed.

The $28 million modifications underway at Yokohama will clear and reinforce Izumo’s deck in order to transform the vessel from a helicopter carrier into a light aircraft carrier capable of supporting the Japanese air force’s F-35B stealth jump jets.

Izumo’s sister vessel Kaga is slated to undergo the same modifications.

It’s unclear how many F-35s the two carriers—each 814 feet long and displacing 27,000 tons—might carry. Only a few, perhaps. The U.S. Navy’s own America-class assault ships, each displacing 45,000 tons, each can embark more than a dozen F-35Bs.

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WNU Editor: I do not think it is going to be easy to destroy the Japanese Navy.

Will Japan's 30 Submarines Shape The Pacific’s Undersea Defenses?

The fifth "Soryu" submarine fitted with AIP (Air Independent Propulsion) equipment, commissioned in 2011.

Forbes: With 30 Submarines, Japan Will Shape The Pacific’s Undersea Defenses

While America’s nuclear submarine fleet is incomparable, the United States is not the only nation with advanced undersea warfare capabilities. During the Cold War, NATO’s ability to counter the Soviet Union’s formidable submarine fleet benefited from the contributions of submarines operated by the United Kingdom and other NATO allies. In coming years, something similar is going to be true in the Pacific, where an expansionist China has been working steadily to create a large and modern submarine force to contest U.S. and allied control of the critical underwater domain.

As the United States and allies in the Pacific begin building the collaborative framework required to maintain their shared edge in undersea warfare over China, America’s submarine fleet will soon begin an unavoidable decline in numbers. The U.S. Navy’s front-line Cold War-era Los Angeles-class submarines are aging out, and America’s fleet of 52 nuclear attack submarines will soon begin to dwindle down to a minimum of about 42 boats in 2027-2028 before the force begins to once again grow in size.

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WNU Editor: It is going to take more than 30 subs to shape the Pacific's undersea defenses.

Japan Is Beefing Up Its Submarine Fleet To Counter China

All of Japan's submarines are considered very modern and capable. This official JMSDF image shows two Oyashio Class boats. These have received upgrades to close the gap with the latest Sōryū Class. JMSDF

Forbes: Japanese Submarines To Counter Chinese Navy Incursions

With China appearing to flex its muscles in almost all of its territorial disputes, a new underwater dimension may emerge. Chinese submarines could be on a collision course with the Japanese Navy. Known as the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), they possess one of the most potent anti-submarine capabilities of any Navy. In particular Japanese submarine technology is highly regarded. But there seems to be acceptance that they will have to beef up to meet the emerging threat from China. A newly published white paper hints at ways the JMSDF is responding.

The threat of Chinese submarine incursions is seen as very real. Last month, to track a submerged submarine near its waters, the JMSDF scrambled one of its helicopter carriers, two destroyers and several maritime patrol aircraft. Although Japan has not declared the nationality of the submarine, it is widely believed to have been Chinese.

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WNU Editor: Japan is also beefing up its surface fleet .... Japan has started to convert its first aircraft carrier in 75 years (Business Insider/We Are The Mighty).

Japan Has A Plan To 'Dismantle' China's Submarine Fleet

The Japanese carrier 'Kaga' and an escort in 2020. Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force

David Axe, Forbes: Japan Has A Plan For Dismantling China’s Submarine Fleet

Japanese forces chased a Chinese submarine out of Japanese waters on Thursday. Officials in Tokyo characterized the sub’s infiltration as part of China’s escalating land-grab across the western Pacific.

A Japanese “destroyer”—actually, the helicopter-carrier Kaga—along with a P-1 patrol plane reportedly detected the submarine within 24 miles of Amami-Oshima island, near Okinawa in southern Japan. For two days Kaga and patrol planes tailed the submarine until it finally left Japanese waters.

The last time a foreign sub got caught infiltrating Japanese waters was in 2018, according to The Asahi Shimbun newspaper. The chases underscore Tokyo’s sophisticated plan for defeating Beijing’s undersea forces.

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WNU Editor: I am not sure Japan will be able to counter China effectively if the situation escalates out of control .... China's Navy Now Outguns The Japanese Fleet (May 25, 2020).

Japan Is Set To Deploy Its First Aircraft Carriers Since World War II

Japanese Navy carrier Izumo, photographed in 2016. She will be modified to support F-35 jets.JMSDF

Forbes: Japan To Get First Aircraft Carriers Since World War II

Japan is set to deploy its first aircraft carriers since World War II. The Japanese Navy will modernize two helicopter destroyers into de facto aircraft carriers. This will increase the number of carrier operators in the Asia-Pacific region.

Historically the Imperial Japanese Navy placed a heavy emphasis on aircraft carriers. The Hōshō, when she was commissioned on December 27, 1922, was the first purpose built aircraft carrier in the world. Going into the Battle of Midway in June 1942 Japan had the largest aircraft carrier fleet in the world. This did not last. By the end of the war many carriers had been sunk, mostly by the U.S. Navy. After the war the remaining carriers were scrapped and Japan entered a period of disarmament, adopting a Constitution in 1947 that forbade the maintenance of forces that could wage war.

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WNU Editor: It is amazing how the times have changed. Thirty years ago it was inconceivable that Japan would have aircraft carriers. Today the debate is not only to modify two helicopter aircraft carriers to become de-facto aircraft carriers, but to build even more.

Japan's Newest Submarine Is Giving Its Navy A Tactical Edge

The launch ceremony of the submarine Toryu, November 6.Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force

Forbes: Japanese Navy May Have Gained Tactical Edge With New Submarine

In a ceremony on November 6, Japan launched its latest submarine, the Toryu. It is its second to be equipped with lithium-ion batteries. Japan is the first country to field this game-changing technology in submarines.

So what is the big deal? We are familiar with lithium-ion batteries in our smartphones, laptops and other consumer goods. They have a higher power-density than traditional batteries, and they can be made smaller and in novel shapes which better fit the space given to them. Yet the submarine community has been slow to adopt this technology.

This is for good reason. As we know from Samsung's woes with the Galaxy Note 7, lithium-ion batteries are prone to catching fire. Battery fires aboard submarines can quickly turn lethal. Recently 14 elite Russian submariners lost their lives due to a fire in the battery compartment of their submarine. Those were traditional, safer, lead-acid batteries. Japan must have found a way to make lithium-ion batteries safe enough to send to sea.

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WNU Editor:Never underestimate what the Japanese are capable of.

The Japanese Navy Is Expanding Its Military Role

The Izumo and the Kaga, Japan’s Helicopter carriers Newsline

RCD/AP: Japan’s Biggest Warship, Evidence of Expanding Military Role

ABOARD THE JS IZUMO (AP) — One of Japan’s largest warships, the helicopter carrier Izumo, offers a glimpse of where its military is headed: For the first time, troops from a newly formed amphibious brigade of Japan’s army participated in an extended naval deployment.

The Izumo left Subic, a former U.S. naval base in the Philippines, at the end of a two-month deployment in the Indo-Pacific region at a time of prolonged tensions involving China’s sweeping territorial claims in and around the South China Sea. The carrier, along with the destroyers Murasame and Akebono, just finished a series of drills with the United States and other countries.

Island nation Japan’s ability to project military power beyond its borders is severely constrained by the commitment to pacifism and rejection of use of military force in conflict enshrined in its post-World War II constitution, though in 2015 it was reinterpreted to allow the use of force in defending itself and its allies.

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WNU Editor: This expanded military role is only going to increase with time.

Here Comes Japan's Aircraft Carriers

The Izumo and the Kaga, Japan’s Helicopter carriers Newsline

Robert Farley, The Diplomat: Here Come Japan’s Aircraft Carriers

The modification of the Izumos will upend nearly seven decades of defense thinking in Japan, and across East Asia.

In a few short years, Japan will have its first real aircraft carriers since World War II. The modification of JS Izumo and JS Kaga to carry the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter will upend, or at least update, nearly seven decades of defense thinking in Japan, and across East Asia. The combination of the Izumos with the F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter and the MV-22 Osprey transport may herald Japan’s return to serious naval competition in East Asia, with reverberations in South Korea, China, and the United States. It may also fundamentally change the identity and culture of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and the rest of the Japanese armed forces.

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WNU Editor: As for building even bigger aircraft carriers, the only thing that is stopping Japan right now are political concerns .... The Only Thing Stopping Japan from Being an Aircraft Carrier Superpower (Robert Farley, National Interest).

A Look At Japan's Navy Today

Japan Maritime Self Defense Force today. High resolution image here.

Naval Analysis: The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force today

Following Japan's defeat in World War II, the Imperial Japanese Navy was dissolved by the Potsdam Declaration acceptance. Japan's 1947 Constitution was drawn up after the conclusion of the war, Article 9 specifying that "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." The prevalent view in Japan is that this article allows for military forces to be kept for the purposes of self-defense.

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WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction. The Japanese navy is going to get bigger in the coming years.

Japan Is Going All In On Aircraft Carriers

The Izumo and the Kaga, Japan’s Helicopter carriers Newsline

National Interest: Japan Is Going All In On Aircraft Carriers Armed with F-35s

With the two ships and their new planes, Tokyo could be able to duplicate the United Kingdom's own 1982 campaign to retake the Falkland Islands from invading Argentine forces.

Japan's cabinet on Dec. 18, 2018 approved a plan to modify the Japanese navy's two Izumo-class helicopter carriers to embark F-35B stealth fighters.

The modifications should result in the Japanese fleet operating, for the first time since World War II, flattops with fixed-wing aircraft. With the two ships and their new planes, Tokyo could be able to duplicate the United Kingdom's own 1982 campaign to retake the Falkland Islands from invading Argentine forces.

"You can still do a lot with a small air wing," Eric Wertheim, an independent naval analyst and author of Combat Fleets of the World , told The National Interest . "Especially when it contains advanced stealth aircraft like the F-35B."

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WNU Editor: The part of this article that I found interesting was this one ....

.... The U.S. Navy possesses 10 Nimitz- and Ford-class supercarriers. It plans to deploy six of the ships within 30 days of a crisis, plus at least one more within 90 days.

So in the event of a crisis, the U.S. Navy will deploy 6 aircraft carriers within 30 days, and at least one more within 90 days.

Japan's New Defense Plan Means Aircraft Carriers For Its Navy

A Japanese helicopter carrier, Kaga, trails behind Japanese destroyer Inazuma led by the British frigate HMS Argyll in the Indian Ocean; Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hopes to upgrade the helicopter carriers so they can launch fighter jets

ABC News Online: Japan to launch first aircraft carriers since WWII as Government notes 'national rivalries are surfacing'

Tokyo will launch its first aircraft carriers since the end of World War II to accommodate a growing number of stealth fighters, long-range missiles and other equipment adding to the Japan Self-Defence Forces (JSDF).

The guidelines approved at a meeting of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet call for refitting the Izumo helicopter carrier into a ship that can deploy expensive, US-made F-35B stealth fighters capable of short take-offs and vertical landings.

The work would be done over five years and the ship would carry 10 stealth fighters, while the refitting of a second helicopter carrier into a second aircraft carrier would follow.

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More News On Japan's New Defense Plan

Japan will get its first aircraft carriers since WWII and buy dozens of fighter jets in response to China's growing military power -- Daily Mail
Japan plans first aircraft carriers since World War II -- DW
Japan to spend more on defense, refit first aircraft carrier -- ABC News/AP
Japan to get first post-WWII aircraft carriers -- AFP
Japan beefs up defences amid concerns over China's military might -- The Guardian
Japan to have first aircraft carriers since World War II -- CNN
Japan defense plan calls for aircraft carriers at sea and vigilance in space and cyberspace -- Japan Times
Japan to acquire aircraft carrier and cruise missiles as it moves away from ‘image of pacifism’ -- The Independent
Japan to get first aircraft carriers since World War II as part of record $242bn defense plan -- RT
Upgrade Would Arm Japan With First Aircraft Carriers Since World War II -- The New York Times
There Is Only 1 Thing Stopping Japan from Building Real Aircraft Carriers -- Robert Farley, National Interest

Japan Is Considering Upgrading Its Helicopter Carriers Into Aircraft Carriers

The helicopter carrier Izumo is seen at its Yokosuka base. Photo: REUTERS file

Japan Today: Japan considers transforming helicopter destroyer into aircraft carrier

Japan is considering upgrading its helicopter carriers to enable them to transport and launch fighter jets and include the decision in its new defense guidelines, a government source said Tuesday, indicating a departure from the country's strictly defense-oriented policy.

The government is looking to upgrade the Izumo, a flat-top destroyer that currently accommodates helicopters, as it sees having an aircraft carrier as indispensable in the face of China's maritime assertiveness.

Tokyo also wants to enhance its air defense capabilities in the Pacific Ocean where Japan has no bases.

The government plans to decide on the revised version of the National Defense Program Guidelines in December.

Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya appeared positive Tuesday about upgrading Izumo to serve as an aircraft carrier, telling a press conference, "It's desirable that it will be used for as many purposes as possible."

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WNU Editor: I guess this is why Japan is considering buying an additional 100 F-35s .... Japan to order 100 more F-35 fighters from US (Nikkei Asian Review).

Does Japan Need An Aircraft Carrier?

Defense One: Does Japan Need an Aircraft Carrier?

A floating air base would help defend far-flung islands under Chinese pressure, but at a cost.

In 1983, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone promised U.S. President Ronald Reagan that he would make Japan into an “unsinkable aircraft carrier.” The irony was, and remains, that Japan has not possessed an actual aircraft carrier in more than 70 years. But that may soon change. The Japanese government is debating retrofitting a class of destroyers to turn them into aircraft carriers. Beyond answering the expected questions of whether such ships would violate its constitution, Japan will need to decide whether the operational need offsets what is expected to be a significant resource strain.

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WNU Editor: The above Izumo Class Helicopter Destroyer (DDH 183) video looks impressive.

Japan Launches A New Guided-Missile Destroyer Class

The 8,200-ton, 170-meter--long destroyers are equipped with the Aegis Baseline J7 combat system. (Courtesy of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force)

Defense News: Japan launches first ship of new destroyer class

MELBOURNE, Australia — Japan has launched the first of a new class of guided-missile destroyers with ballistic missile defense capabilities, as the U.S. ally continues to bolster its defenses against the missile threat from North Korea.

Named the Maya, the first of two 27DDG-class destroyers ordered by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force was launched in a ceremony attended by Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera at Japan Marine United’s shipyard at Isogo Ward in Yokohama, south of Japan’s capital Tokyo, according to Japan’s Defense Ministry.

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WNU Editor: China is expressing its concerns on this new guided-missile destroyer class .... China cries at launch of new Japanese destroyer (We Are The Mighty/Business Insider).

Japan's Navy Will Soon Be Carrying Fighter Jets

The Izumo and the Kaga, Japan’s Helicopter carriers Newsline

Popular Mechanics: Japan’s Ships May Carry Fighter Jets, But Don’t Call Them Carriers

The ships would be called “multi-purpose operational mother ships.”


The Japanese government is considering a bold plan: converting its largest ships to carry the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in order to shore up a key defense vulnerability. The country’s use of aircraft carriers during World War II, however, has made loathe to actually use the phrase “aircraft carrier,” instead preferring the term “multi-purpose operational mother ship”.

In the early years of World War II, Japan had the largest and most power aircraft carrier fleet in the world. An island nation bereft of natural resources, Japan needed to procure them abroad, making a powerful navy vitally important. Japan’s carrier force swept across the Pacific, bombing China, attacking Australia, and infamously the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor.

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WNU Editor: They can call it want they want .... but everyone knows that these will be mini-carriers.

Japan's Navy Appoints Its First Woman To Command A Warship Squadron

Newly-appointed Commander of First Escort Division of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Ryoko Azuma (2nd L), who is the first female commander of a navy destroyer squadron in Japan, salutes to soldiers on JMSDF's helicopter carrier Izumo at a port in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, Japan March 6, 2018. REUTERS/Nobuhiro Kubo

Reuters: Japan's navy appoints first woman to command warship squadron

Japan’s navy on Tuesday appointed the first woman to command a warship squadron, including the flagship Izumo helicopter carrier, as it tries to lure more females to make up for a dearth of male recruits in graying Japan.

Ryoko Azuma, will command four ships with a combined crew of 1,000, of which only 30 are women, that make up the Maritime Self Defense Force’s (MSDF) First Escort Division.

“I don’t think about being a woman. I will concentrate my energy on fulfilling my duties as commander,” Azuma, 44, said at a change of command ceremony attended by 400 sailors aboard the Izumo, which was docked at a shipyard in Yokohama near Tokyo for repairs.

When she joined the MSDF in 1996 women were barred from serving on warships, a rule that the navy abolished ten years ago. Submarines, however, are still crewed only by men.

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WNU Editor: Like all modern navies the Japanese are having problems recruiting males to make a career in the Navy. Trying to encourage women to join will make up some of that shortfall. But only concern is that I hope that they are promoted on ability and not for public relations.