War Is Boring

by JAMES SIMPSON It was a disturbing week for China-watchers. March 2 saw the Chinese causing trouble with their neighbors: two Y-8 planes headed to the Senkaku islands causing the Japanese ASDF to scramble into action, illegal fishing inside Korean waters, and the harassment of Philippine vessels near the Spratly Islands. Add the other concerning [...]

by KYLE MIZOKAMI It was beautiful, cloudless day at Camp Pendleton, and the U.S. Marine Corps air-ground menagerie was visible in all directions. In the distance, CH-46 transport helicopters practiced swooping down on and taking off from a simulated ship deck. A UH-1Y Huey and AH-1W Super Cobra hunter-killer team buzzed overhead in tandem, simulating [...]

According to Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan is planning on slashing the number of main battle tanks from a 790 to 400. The cuts would result in a savings of just over a billion dollars annually, which would then go towards reinforcing the Nansei islands. This would result in a national tank force less than half stipulated in the 1995 defense planning guidelines.

The guided missile destroyer JDS Kirishima is to visit Hawaii next month to participate in a Ballistic Missile Defense test. Kirishima was recently upgraded at Nagasaki with the capability to shoot down ballistic missiles. Kirishima was the fourth and last ship of the Kongo-class destroyers to be upgraded, and with her Japan now has four destroyers capable of engaging ballistic missiles. Kirishima has been out since at least July, when it was spotted at Yokosuka. Before the upgrade Kirishima also acted as tracking ship last year during the North Korean missile test.

Observers alarmed at the meteoric rise of the Chinese navy should remember that China is surrounded by powerful and rapidly-modernizing, pro-U.S. navies. Japan has just launched the first in a new class of stealthy destroyers that outweighs and outguns anything in the Chinese fleet. Kyle Mizokami has more on the destroyer Akizuki at Japan Security Watch.