Japan nominally had no army, and their three armed forces had a special name called the "Self-Defense Forces." That is to say, their armed forces only guarantee the security of the Japanese mainland, with self-defense as their fundamental duty, and have no offensive nature. In other words, Japan's Self-Defense Forces should not possess offensive weapons. But over the years, with the connivance of the United States, Japan has been equipped with a number of offensive weapons.
For example, the "Izumo" class destroyer refers to the deer as a horse. It is also impossible for a destroyer to have a straight deck, the same structure as an aircraft carrier. But the Japanese did. After all, the area of surface ships is large, and every movement and stillness can attract a lot of attention. But in contrast, underwater submarine forces are much more stealthy.
Recently, the Japanese media announced that the country is considering allowing submarines to carry cruise missiles for ground attack. This makes the "self-defense" in the "self-defense forces" become vain.
1. Japanese Koshi
After World War II, Japan lost the right to attack militarily. But the United States, for its own various purposes, has connived and armed Japan, so that Japan currently has a variety of offensive weapons.
The first thing to say is the fifth generation of fighters. The biggest feature of the fifth-generation aircraft is stealth, and its main task is to kill the effective air defense forces of the other side one step before competing for air supremacy in the theater. These forces include ground-based radar stations, surface-to-air missile launch bases, aircraft in the sky, and even anti-aircraft destroyers at sea. But as an army defending the homeland, Japan's legal theory of equipping the F35 is somewhat untenable.
If the F35 is a fifth-generation fighter against the enemy of aggression, it is understandable to say that it is not wrong. But to mount the F35 on the deck of an aircraft carrier is a bit excessive. This is not to protect one's own territory, it is to expand into the territory of other countries.
Let's talk about their aircraft carriers. Japan has created a new military vocabulary around the world, and aircraft carriers can also be called helicopter-specific destroyers, which sound inferior to ordinary amphibious landing ships, but the actual role is that of a full-time aircraft carrier. Both hyuga and Izumo were built to carry fixed-wing aircraft. Although their decks and tonnage are lower, they cannot be compared with medium and large aircraft carriers.
However, with the blessing of the F35 vertical take-off and landing version, at least in the Pacific region, Japan can still disrupt the situation with the current 4 aircraft carriers. There are also Japanese underwater troops. At present, there is no fixed estimate of the combat effectiveness of Japanese submarines. First of all, their technology is relatively advanced, at least in the forefront of the world.
Second, their submarines are updated quickly, ensuring that one ship will be started, one in service, and one decommissioned every year. But the retired submarines are not sold scrap iron, but sealed, if it is really war, there may be other uses, these submarines can also fight again. With advanced technology, even decommissioned submarines are not without combat effectiveness. Moreover, Japan still has to do things with submarines.
Second, what is the meaning
According to Japanese media reports, Japan is considering submarines carrying cruise missiles with ground attack capabilities. The cruise missile is a sea-based version of the Type 12 coastal anti-ship missile that just entered service in 2015, and an air-based version was developed at the same time. The Type 12 coastal anti-ship missile was developed and manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, with a maximum range of 200 kilometers and a flight speed of Mach 0.9. It is enough for a coastal defense weapon.
The speed of the missile is not fast, mainly to improve accuracy. It adopts a composite guidance method, inertia and GPS are the most basic configurations, and there is terrain matching, mainly to prevent the interference of terrain factors when flying at low altitudes, coupled with high-end active guidance.
In this way, the missile can fly at an altitude below 50 meters above sea level, effectively shortening the probability of the enemy finding itself and increasing the stealth ability. At the same time, the terminal active guidance can constantly change the flight trajectory, even if the warship initiates the anti-missile program, it is difficult to aim at the missile. More importantly, the launch angle of the Type 12 is relatively large, belonging to the "mortar" in the missile, which can be launched from behind the mountain, improving the survivability. This is also determined by terrain matching and low flight speed.
Soon after the Type 12 officially entered service, the Japanese military put a follow-up upgrade plan on the agenda.
First of all, the 200-kilometer range is more than enough "self-defense" and insufficiently aggressive. Japan wanted to increase its range, initially doubling it to 400 km, then feeling 900 km was appropriate, and finally settling on 1500 km.
1500 kilometers already belongs to the scope of medium-range ballistic missiles, the United States and Russia have once restricted medium-range ballistic missiles, what is the Japanese Self-Defense Force going to do? Is there any royal law? All deserve the world's attention.
There is also what we call multi-platform. The version of Haiji is easier to understand. The original type 12 coastal anti-ship missile had a diameter of 350 mm, and the submarine's torpedo was 533 mm thick. The torpedo launch hole is completely fitted. But what's next? If the missile is launched vertically, it is a strategic submarine. If a country without the right to attack in war actually wants to equip strategic submarines, is the next missile to be equipped with a nuclear warhead?
In addition to the range and multi-platform mentioned above, there is also the ability to attack on land. Anti-ship missiles and land cruise missiles are somewhat different after all, and some of the technologies of the two sides need to be cross-border.
- And finally
At present, the Careful Thinking of the Japanese Military is that Sima Zhao's heart is well known to everyone, and at present, other countries have only criticized and protested, and have not yet taken actual restrictive actions. Whether the Japanese Self-Defense Forces simply defend themselves or force other countries to defend themselves is the only thing that can be decided by the United States. But the current U.S. position is simple: to disrupt all non-North American and EU regions.
The road to world peace is faltering because of the United States.
However, it is not so simple for Japan to convert a coastal defense missile with a range of 200 kilometers into an offensive weapon. First of all, how to improve the range is very critical, which cannot be achieved simply by expanding the projectile body and adding some propellant.
For example, the engine, such as high-density liquid fuel, and even the seemingly inconspicuous wing have to be redesigned, which is no less difficult than developing a new type of missile.
Secondly, mach 0.9 flight speed defense can be, elongated long-range attack can be somewhat difficult, in the face of modern advanced anti-missile systems are extremely easy to intercept.
Japan's path to "military change" is still to go through a long period of twists and turns, but as a close neighbor, no one wants it to succeed.