One
In this article, we would like to look at the latest situation of Japan's "expansion and strengthening of the armed forces" from the following three aspects:
The first is that the "Kaga" has completed the first phase of refitting; the second is that Fumio Kishida has visited the United States to hug his thighs and pull alliances; and the third is that Japan has trained the "Tomahawk" cruise guide for the first time on the ground.
Two
The first is the completion of the first stage of refit of the "Kaga".
According to a report by NHK on April 8, 2024, the first phase of the "Kaga" refit was completed at the end of March 2024, and the deck was lengthened, widened and heat-resistant painted, so that it can withstand the high temperature exhaust exhaust gases emitted by the fighter engine, which can ensure the take-off and landing of the fighter.
Take-off and landing tests of F-35B fighters have also begun. Designed and manufactured by the United States, the F-35B is equipped with advanced weapons systems, stealth and supersonic cruise capabilities, and the F-35B can achieve short take-offs and vertical landings.
Photos published by a number of Japanese media show that the deck of the "Kaga" has been changed from the original trapezoidal shape to a rectangular shape.
Japan plans to carry out two large-scale refitals of the Kaga, the first phase has been completed, the second phase will be launched in 2024, and it is expected to be completed in two years.
The second phase of the refit mainly involves internal zoning, so that the ship has the ability to command and coordinate F-35B fighters, and the interior is also to be upgraded to a hangar with the function of supporting and maintaining fighters.
After two technical transformations, the "Kaga" was able to take off and land F-35B stealth fighters, becoming a light aircraft carrier with actual combat capabilities.
Japan's pacifist constitution prohibits Japan from having attack aircraft carriers. At the end of 2018, Japan decided to refit the frigates "Izumo" and "Kaga" into "aircraft carriers".
In fact, these two warships already meet the standards of modern light aircraft carriers in terms of tonnage, layout and function: 248 meters long, 38 meters wide, with a displacement of nearly 20,000 tons, an all-access deck similar to an aircraft carrier, and can carry helicopters.
Japan says that the two warships do not have the function of taking off and landing fighters and are not attack aircraft carriers; as for the "aircraft carrier" modification, Japan says that the ships will not always carry troops deploying F-35B fighters, so they are still not attack aircraft carriers. These statements by Japan are undoubtedly quibbling.
The "Kaga" was once one of the main aircraft carriers of the Japanese Navy, and the "Izumo" was once an armored cruiser of the Japanese Navy, both of which were sunk in World War II.
Three
The second is Fumio Kishida's visit to the United States, hugging his thighs and pulling alliances.
On April 10, 2024, Fumio Kishida and Biden met behind closed doors at the White House for about two hours, and then the two held a joint press conference, issued a joint statement, and threw out an 18-page memo listing about 70 new agreements or deliverables, covering the economy, defense, artificial intelligence, space, security, nuclear fusion energy and other fields, many of which point to a stronger China.
Many of the agreements are on defense, but none more important than this one: strengthening the alliance's command and control and adjusting the reporting mechanism for U.S. forces in Japan. This includes the establishment of a Joint Operations Command, which would bring the U.S. Navy, Air Force, Army and Marine Corps stationed in Japan under unified command. Currently, each branch of the U.S. military in Japan has an independent chain of command and reports to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, which is headquartered in Hawaii. Under the new agreement, the U.S. side will delegate the function of developing joint training plans and the command of combat units to U.S. forces in Japan.
At the news conference, Biden said the United States and Japan are taking major steps to strengthen defense and security cooperation, modernize command and control structures, and improve the interoperability and planning capabilities of the two militaries so that they can work together in a seamless and effective manner, claiming that this is the most significant upgrade since the U.S.-Japan alliance was established, while Kishida said Japan will always stand firmly with the United States.
On April 11, 2024, the United States, Japan and the Philippines held their first trilateral summit in Washington, D.C.
A statement was issued after the meeting, emphasizing that the three countries will carry out deeper cooperation in economy, trade and investment, defense and security, and regional affairs.
On defense and security, the United States reaffirms its strong alliance commitment to the Indo-Pacific, including freedom of navigation and overflight and exclusive economic zone rights. The United States and Japan will provide assistance to the Philippine Coast Guard, actively carry out coast guard diplomacy, and use the intervention of the coast guard forces of the three countries to carry out trilateral maritime exercises, conduct regular patrols, and maintain trilateral maritime security dialogue.
Since Fumio Kishida became prime minister in 2021, Japan has been moving faster and faster on the road to expanding its military and strengthening its army, and now in a state of extremely low public support at home, he is trying to save his precarious officialdom career by hugging his thighs and pulling alliances.
Four
The third is Japan's first field training "Tomahawk" cruise guide.
On March 28, 2024, Japan's Self-Defense Forces boarded a U.S. Navy destroyer for the first time and conducted the first field training of the Tomahawk cruise guide.
Both the United States and Japan paid close attention to the training, and the US ambassador to Japan personally attended the training site.
After that, the United States will conduct such training for Japan once a month, and the training will be completed by 2025.
Japan will purchase 400 Tomahawks from the United States from 2025 to 2027.
It is worth noting that the original plan was to start purchasing the latest Tomahawk Block V in 2026, but in the end, it was decided to advance the purchase plan by one year, and at the same time, due to the lack of production capacity in the United States, Japan decided to purchase a mix of 200 pieces each of the old Tomahawk Block IV and the new Tomahawk Block V.
With regard to the introduction of the "Tomahawk" project, Japan would rather give up the purchase of the latest model than strive to obtain it in advance, and the purpose is nothing more than to rapidly improve the ability to "take the initiative to attack."
The urgency shown by Japan is worthy of attention and vigilance.
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