"Military Sub-plane" author: Big Ivan
According to Reuters on August 28, the US State Department has approved the sale of 50 JASSM-ER air-surface missiles to Japan's Air Self-Defense Force for $104 million.
This is also the second long-range strike weapon procurement contract offered by Japan since Japanese Defense Minister Yasushi Hamada disclosed to the outside world in February this year that Japan is trying to purchase 500 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States. From the point of view of the end use of this type of air-surface missile, Japan's Self-Defense Forces are expected to equip this type of missile with air-to-air F-35A or F-15JSI fighters. So, what is the threat to us from Japan's Self-Defense Forces' purchase of JASSM-ER air-surface missiles?
In terms of technical performance, the missile is an extended range version of the AGM-158 "Joint Defense Area Outer Space Surface Missile" (JASSM) equipped by the US military. Compared with the basic type, the JASSM-ER increases the range to about 1,000 kilometers by switching to a new turbofan engine, and has composite guidance performance, which can use a variety of warheads such as penetrating warheads, cluster warheads, integral explosive warheads, and so on. With the advantages of long strike range, good stealth performance, high strike accuracy and strong attack power, it can currently be called the standard air-surface missile of the US military, not to mention, the latest AGM-158C is also based on the JASSM-ER improvement. From this point of view, these JASSM-ERs introduced by the Japanese side may pose a serious threat to important combat nodes and important strategic locations in our homeland, and have the ability to strike at important targets in our strategic depth.
Judging from the factors in the adjustment of Japan's national defense strategy and military strategy, the sale of JASSM-ER air-surface missiles by the United States to Japan is one of the offensive weapons purchased by Japan in the name of the so-called "preemptive attack on enemy bases" after revising three strategic documents ("National Security Strategy," "National Defense Strategy," and "Defense Readiness Plan") last December. And these three strategies, which we have analyzed before, are to develop Japan's strategic offensive capability under the guise of "exclusive defense." After all, the so-called "preemptive attack on enemy bases", its strategic standard is completely from Japan's own judgment, Japan believes that a certain country may launch an attack on Japan, then it can preemptively attack the opponent's base under the banner of "defense", so what is the difference between this and taking the initiative to launch a war?
Therefore, from the perspective of Japan's national strategy, the JASSM-ER air-surface missiles exported by the United States to Japan are an important echo and praise of Japan's strategic offensive capability. At the same time, the huge range of this type of tactical missile up to 1,000 kilometers also seriously violates the provisions of the G7's own Missile Technology Control System (MTCR). It fully proves that Western countries selectively abide by the rules that are favorable to them and abandon the rules that are unfavorable to them, and proves that the United States is increasingly playing with fire in the so-called Indo-Pacific strategy.
At the same time, more importantly, this round of exports of JASSM-ER, including the export of Tomahawk cruise missiles discussed by the United States and Japan, undoubtedly breaks through the restrictions of Japan's "Peace Constitution" and takes a dangerous step in Japan's arms expansion, development of active offensive capabilities, and destruction of regional balance. With the current trend, Japan may one day hold a second attack on Pearl Harbor, and we must remain highly vigilant about this.