MQM-107 Streaker. Via Asia Security Watch.

by CRAIG SCANLAN

Kim Jong Un’s turn as nostalgic replacement for his late grandfather, Kim Il-Sung, wasn’t the only bit of “history made new again” to come out of North Korea this week.

North Korea has acquired U.S.-made MQM-107 Streaker target drones from the Middle East and is seeking to use them as a basis for an unmanned attack aircraft program:

SEOUL, Feb. 5 (Yonhap) — North Korea is developing unmanned attack aircraft using U.S. target drones purchased from the Middle East, a military source in Seoul said Sunday, indicating the aircraft will likely target the South.

“North Korea recently bought several U.S. MQM-107D Streakers from a Middle Eastern nation that appears to be Syria, and is developing unmanned attack aircraft based on them,” the source said on condition of anonymity.

The MQM-107D Streaker is a high-speed target drone used by the U.S. and South Korean militaries for testing guided missiles.

North Korea has conducted numerous tests on high-speed target drones mounted with high explosives, but has yet to master the technology, the source said, citing South Korean intelligence sources.

If it succeeds in developing the attack aircraft, the North appears likely to deploy them near the inter-Korean border to target South Korean troops stationed on border islands in the Yellow Sea.

The MQM-107D Streakers, with top speeds of 575 miles per hour and a flight ceiling of around 40,000 feet, are normally programmed with flight routes pre-launch or controlled by very basic radio link. They are retrievable (if not destroyed) by parachute recovery systems.

The 1970s-era technology won’t likely lend itself to modern unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control systems, with little evidence that North Korea has such systems anyway. At the very best, North Korea now possesses a very unwieldy, inaccurate, subsonic cruise missile, in limited numbers, that is slightly better equipped technology-wise than a German WWII-era V-1 Buzz Bomb.

Read the rest at Asia Security Watch.

F-15SE sensors. Photo via Pakistan Defense and Asia Security Watch.

by CRAIG SCANLAN

Writing about the Republic of Korea’s rapid advancement in military prowess generally points towards the positive, the country having accomplished great leaps in a short span of time, but when this topic veers to that of ROK Air superiority, the current South Korean state of affairs can be lumped in with what has become the norm for pro-western Asian countries in the region.

While the ROK remains superior in the air to that of their North Korean brother, their air force currently lags woefully behind that of their naval and army superiority and advances.

The South Korean military had hoped to rely on the U.S. for procuring fighters under their FX-III plan, needing a modern semi-stealth fighter to keep their forces battle-ready in this millennium. Boeing’s proposed F-15 Silent Eagle (F-15 SE) was meant to fill that void with modern sensor arrays, canted tails, and internal weapons bays.

Read the rest at Asia Security Watch.

Hayabusa 2. JAXA illustration.

by KYLE MIZOKAMI

Japan’s answer to NASA — JAXA — is slated to add defense and intelligence tasks to its traditionally civilian role. Kyodo explains:

A government panel on space program strategy plans to revise a law to allow the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to step outside its current commitment to peaceful projects and become involved in the use of space for national security.

Following the panel’s decision Friday, JAXA would be allowed to cooperate in developing spy and early warning satellites if the amendment bill is approved during the ordinary Diet session that convenes later this month.

The controversial move, however, is likely to provoke opposition to the military use of space.

The nation’s space program was based on a 1969 Diet resolution limiting it to nonmilitary fields in principle.

But a basic space program act enacted in 2008 stipulates that the program should contribute to security, permitting the use of space for defense purposes. (Link)

Japan maintains five spy satellites: three optical satellites and, as of December 12th, two radar satellites. In the United States, civilian and military space are both large enough to warrant separate programs. In Japan however, it just makes sense to have one agency control both areas. One possible concern with the merger is that military space in general is notoriously secretive and thus a spinner of red tape, which could slow down JAXA’s other civilian-oriented programs.

Along with the recent arms ban export relaxation, the decision to fold military missions into JAXA is part of a broad push towards mainstreaming defense and security in Japan.

Lieutenant General Eiji Kimizuka, Commander, Joint Task Force-Tohoku. U.S. Navy photo.

Joint Task Force-Tohoku is the Japan Self-Defense Forces’ first-ever operationally deployed joint task force, commanding Ground, Air, and Maritime Self Defense Force units. JTF-Tohoku is commanded by Lieutenant General Eiji Kimizuka of the Ground Self Defense Forces. This is a big deal.

Japan’s armed forces have a history of maddening parochialism. During the Second World War, the Army and Navy bitterly struggled for national resources and overall control of the Imperial Armed Forces. Both had competing strategies and policies that they wished to impose on Japan. The Imperial Army and Navy both maintained separate air forces, even having their own separate fighter designs, as well as separate marine infantry and paratroop units. It is said that both services fought a war not only against the Allies, but the other service as well.

Even through the Cold War, the GSDF, ASDF, and MSDF were notoriously separate from one another. The problems this brought were not immediately obvious, since the SDF was a pacifist, defense-only military that was never tested by war. But it must have been obvious to those inside the SDF that the Americans, who excellent at joint operations and who frequently drilled with the Japanese, benefitted considerably from the lack of friction and cooperation among the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. As a result, recently there has been an emphasis among the SDF sister services to bring the concept of “jointness” to Japan. As the existence of JTF-Tohoku has pointed out, the effort has been successful.

In addition to disaster relief/humanitarian assistance, the joint task force concept will be particularly crucial in pursuit of Japan’s new “dynamic defense” doctrine. “Dynamic Defense”, which emphasizes the ability to deploy defensive forces into remote areas of Japan’s far-flung archipelago, will require joint operations from the start. GSDF troops will need to be shuttled around in ASDF transports. ADSF ships will need to clear the airspace to allow MSDF ships to operate. MSDF ships will need to provide gunfire support to GSDF troops. This will not only require a unity of effort, but of command as well. Despite the tragic circumstances, the establishment of JTF Tohoku will provide the SDF with tremendous experience in joint operations that will affect how the organization prepares for and fights wars.

Originally published at Japan Security Watch.

JS Bungo, a Uraga-class minesweeper tender. Via Globalsecurity.org.

Last year, for the first time Japan deployed a MSDF vessel in support of the U.S. Navy’s annual Pacific Partnership program. JS Kunisaki, an Ohsumi-class LST, was loaded with doctors, nurses, dentists, and engineers and sent to follow USNS Mercy as she worked her way from the South Pacific to Southeast Asia. Together the two ships dispensed free medical, dental, veterinary and engineering help to remote, impoverished communities.

According to the Ministry of Defense, Japan’s participation in Pacific Partnership will continue this year. Thirty to 40 medical personnel, a minesweeper-tender-type vessel, and ASDF aircraft will participate. The Ministry of Defense is also recruiting up to 30 Japanese NGO members to tag along. The MoD expects to be in East Timor from June 24 to July 14, and Micronesia from July 15 to August 3.

A minesweeper tender vessel could only mean one of the Uraga class. There are two ships in the Uraga class, Uraga and Bungo. Displacing an average of 5,675 tons each, the ships are 140 meters long and have a crew of 160. Both ships are outfitted with a 76 millimeter gun on the bow, as well as mine-laying equipment. A minesweeper tender is not the ideal choice: the ships lack the well decks and larger helicopter pads of the Ohsumi-class. Without landing craft or LCAC hovercraft, a Uraga-class vessel will have a more difficult time getting a heavier presence ashore. Uragas also sport a rather conspicuous 76 millimeter Oto-Melera cannon on the bow, which is incongruous for such a peaceful mission. (The same criticism could be made when the U.S. Navy used Austin-class LPDs in the Pacific Partnership program, but the sheer size of the Austins tended to dwarf any obvious armament.)

Why not an Ohsumi-class LST again? Good question. There are, after all, three of them, and Japan does not maintain at-sea amphibious forces like the U.S. Navy. The reason is unknown but the choice of a minesweeper tender (made before the Tohoku earthquake) may help preserve the Pacific Partnership mission as the Ohsumi ships are being used in earthquake relief.

Originally published at Japan Security Watch.

Type 74 Main Battle Tank with Dozer Attachment. Image via Military-Today.com

According to the Daily Yomiuri, the GSDF is sending two Type 74 main battle tanks to the Fukushima Daiichi reactor to help clean up rubble and debris from the earthquake, tsunami, and explosions at the reactor site. The rubble and debris are hampering emergency efforts to repair the reactors. The GSDF is using tanks instead of bulldozers because the thick steel hull of the Type 74 is effective at blocking some radiation from the crew. The tanks also have NBC air filtration systems.

The article says that the tanks will be sent from Camp Komakado, which according to Wikipedia is the headquarters of the 1st Tank Battalion, as well as the 1st Armored Training Unit. Other sources on the Internet indicate that one Type 74 per tank company is equipped with a dozer blade, in which case the 1st Tank Battalion probably has three such tanks on hand.

Kyodo News Agency has a picture of one of the tanks chained to a tank transporter.

Type 74 with dozer attachment. Kyodo News Agency.

Originally published at Japan Security Watch.

Damaged F-2 fighter at Matsushima Air Base. Internet photo.

Matsushima Air Base, just north of Sendai, suffered heavy damage due to flooding during the tsunami that swept the region. Located just seven feet (2.2 meters) above sea level, Matsushima was also located right on the coastline, and the wall of water swept over the base and continued inland.

Damage at the base has been widely reported, but what is less reported int the Western press is that 300 air base personnel, on leave at the time of the tsunami, are not accounted for. The missing reportedly lived in the nearby area. Eighteen F-2 fighters (pictured above) were also damaged, one pushed by the water and colliding nose-first with a building. Reports indicate those 18 fighters may not be salvageable for future use. Even the “gate guardians” of the base, including two T-2 trainers, one F-104 Starfighter, and two F-86 Sabres, had sustained damage.

Matsushima is right in the middle of the devastation, and if repairable could play a vital role in supporting relief operations all around it. The buildings may not be serviceable and fuel supplies may or may not be contaminated, but the air base is still miles of flat concrete capable of supporting helicopters, and it is still connected to the nearby community via Japan’s excellent roads. The U.S. Air Force maintains Red Horse engineering teams designed to repair and return to service damaged airfields. Four such units exist, the closest being the 554th Red Horse at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. It is unknown if the Japan Air Self-Defense Force has a similar capability.

JSDF and survivor. Reuters photo.

by JAMES SIMPSON

Yesterday I experienced the most surreal moments my still short life has had to offer: terra firma swaying like the deck of a storm-stricken ship, and a two-hour walk home through absolute darkness in the outskirts of the world’s largest city.

My wife returned home after an eight-hour walk, a fellow refugee from Tokyo in tow. In brand new heels, she had walked nearly 20 km following national highways and the general guidance of the police. By the time she had arrived in our local area, all the power was back up. Life seemed to be returning to normal…

That night, however, was terrifying — not because of any particular event, but as a result of our fear. Aftershocks hit time after time, little shakes and big bumps, each time forcing us to question whether it was time to flee the building.

Read more at Japan Security Watch.

Lisa Mizokami photo.

The Japan Self Defense Forces are a lot like subatomic particles. Everyone knows they exist, or rather believes in the larger order of things that says they should exist, but few people can really tell you what they’re really like. The SDF keeps a low profile, in large part due to the anti-military and anti-war attitude built into modern Japanese society. For outsiders the best way to gauge the SDF is often through its interaction with the armed forces of other countries.

There was really only one question I had for Colonel Michael Hudson, the 11th MEU commander, and I thought I’d blown my chance when I missed the morning media interview with him. Fortunately, he was not only at the exercise, but actually came over to introduce himself. We chatted for several minutes, and I seized the opportunity.

“Say,” I asked the colonel, lowering my voice and jerking my head in the direction of the GSDF men. “Off the record, how good are these guys?”

*  *  *

It’s a tough question, but a fair one. As China rises and grows belligerent, that question is on the minds of people throughout the Pacific region. As China’s neighbor and theoretical rival in the Pacific, an effective Japanese military would go a long way to reassuring other Pacific nations that China could, if necessary, be put in check. An ineffective Japanese military means more work for everyone else.

Read more at Japan Security Watch.

Shinshin mockup.

The Associated Press ran an article today which quotes General Hideyuki Yoshioka, director of air systems development at the Ministry of Defense as saying that the ATD-X, or Shinshin (“Spirit”) fighter will fly for the first time some time in 2014.

[Yoshioka] said Japan has put 39 billion yen ($473 million) into the project since 2009, after it became clear the U.S. was not likely to sell it the F-22 “Raptor”—America’s most advanced fighter jet—because of a congressional export ban.

“We are two years into the project, and we are on schedule,” Gen. Yoshioka said Monday. He stressed that a successful test flight of the prototype, dubbed “Shinshin” (“Spirit”), would not lead to immediate production. The prototype would test advanced technologies, and if successful the government would decide in 2016 how to proceed. (Link)

A few things to note:

1. Contrary to what General Yoshioka says, Shinshin has been in development for the better part of a decade, with a wind tunnel model being tested in France in 2005. It’s more likely that development has accelerated since 2009, when Japan realized the F-22 was not going to be exported.

2. Japan is only three years away from a flying prototype and is only spending an average $157 million a year? Really? The U.S. Joint Strike Fighter will run roughly $50 billion in development costs, or an average of $3.3 billion per year. Granted, the JSF is actually three planes, but still. PAK-FA, the Russian-Indian jet, is estimated to ultimately cost $8-10 billion to develop. Furthermore, both the U.S. and Russia have experience building jets from scratch, which Japan does not. Japan’s only indigenous postwar fighter, the F-2, was built with the assistance of Lockheed Martin and based on an existing design.

Bottom line: expect Shinshin’s development costs to skyrocket over the next decade.

3. Assuming Shinshin is being built as an interceptor to replace the F-15J, and assuming that Japan takes China’s buildup into consideration, it will probably replace the F-15J on a 1:1 basis, roughly 200 planes split between fighters and trainers. If General Yoshioka thinks that the plane will spawn a $100-billion industry, that means each plane would be responsible for $500 million over the course of its lifetime, from development to procurement to cradle-to-grave life cycle costs.

That’s awfully high, but the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 costs $44,000 per hour to fly. Assuming the F-22 is good for 8,000 flight hours, about average for a Western combat aircraft, that’s $352 million over the life of the plane. And that’s not even counting the actual cost of each plane.

If anything, General Yoshioka’s numbers may be a bit low.

Then there are the wonders of export sal — oh, that’s right. I forgot. Silly me, thinking like an American again. Well, a lot can happen in 10 years.

Lisa Mizokami photo.

This was my second opportunity to cover troops in the field, and my first ever with the GSDF. How to divide my attention? Should I talk to the Americans, who were approachable and from whom information flowed freely? The Japanese, who were more difficult to talk to, but who were precisely the people I came to see? Other members of the press, Japanese and American? Do I shoot video or just start writing stuff down? I tried to do all three in the limited time that I had, and got a little bit of everything.

My “limited time” was supposed to be two days, but I ended up with an afternoon.

*  *  *

The original invite from the U.S. Marines was to observe the exercises for two days. The first day was supposed to involve securing a beachhead, the second involving pushing off the beach. I was also told that the Japanese were uncomfortable with having the press at many of the exercises. At the last minute, I got word that the schedule had changed and that my access was down to one day.

Read more at Japan Security Watch.

Lisa Mizokami photo.

The scenario was this: 3 Company, Western Army Infantry Regiment, Japan Ground Self Defense Forces, had landed on Camp Pendleton’s Red Beach and pushed ashore into the coastal foothills. The next phase of the exercise was the passage of lines. While the Japanese held the outer ring of the “beachhead,” a U.S. Marine tank platoon consisting of four M-1A1 Abrams tanks would push through friendly front lines and continue the advance of the U.S. – Japanese force. The tanks would avoid cutting Japanese communications wires and crushing the Japanese in their positions by traveling through two designated lanes.

Theoretically, a very easy exercise. But this is where it got hard.

*  *  *

The hillside the Japanese were dug in on was directly in front of us, approximately 400 meters away. Three Company, WAIR had paused and assumed hasty defensive positions. I was told there were at least a hundred Japanese on the hill in front of me, but I couldn’t see anyone. It was a little disconcerting, because if they had emerged from cover and simply stood out in the open they would be plainly obvious. But they weren’t. They were up there on the hillside, well camouflaged on a hillside green with early spring vegetation. The Marines told us that the WAIR troops had dug in so well that the simulated opposing force, a Marine TOW anti-tank section, had nearly driven on top of them.

Read more at Japan Security Watch.