Seen above is the newest ship being built for the Japanese Navy I mean Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force.  Called simply 16DDH after the year in which she was ordered, the 16th year of the Heisei era, or 2004, she is due to be launched next month.  She is officialy classed as a Helicopter carrying destroyer, hence DDH, DD= Destroyer, H= Helicopter.  The four DDH's the Japanese have now are really just that, destroyers with extended landing areas and hangars for three helicopters.  This yet un-named ship is officaly stated as displacing 13,500 tons, where even large destroyers displace less than 6,000.  Instead of her predicessors three helos she can offically carry four.  Most reasonable estimates are that she will be capable of hosting a mixed helo/VSTOL airgroup of 22 to 28 aircraft.

     Now most of the time a nation bulding a warship is no big deal, except when you have officaly renounced war but are on average number six or seven in world wide defence spending.  The Japanese spend on average just 1% of their GDP on defence compared to the USA's 8 1/2%.  Some of Japan's neighbors have been getting worried that with a ship like this one, and her sister on order signals the rebirth of Japanese militarism.  Nothing could be farther from the truth, the Japanese have recognized that in this day and age they must contribute to the defence of the free world in a manner consumate with their economic and political clout.  To be able to do this you need to be able to project force outwards, and to do that if you are an island nation you need a strong navy with aircraft carriers, but since the Japanese position is that they may not posess offensive weapons you build an offensive platform with a defensive name.

     This dodge allows Japan to build a credible striking power while paying lip service to the military restrictions contained within the Japanese constitution.  How long those will last though is in doubt, following North Korea's test of a nuclear weapon the Japanese passed a law establishing a system to amend their constitution that will take effect in early 2010.  Article nine, the article that forbids offensive capabilities and seriously hinders the use of force to defend against attack is at the top of the agenda for removal or amendment.  While the curent interpretation of the law allows for the possesion of the means for collective self defence (ie a military) there are only a highly limited number of cases where it would actually be possible to exercise them.  This has become more of a concern of late as the JMSDF has become more and more involved in supporting USN operations in the Indian ocean and the Persian gulf-Arabian Sea area.

      Despite what many rabble rousers in Korea and China may say a strong Japan is good for the region.  It can help contain and repell any North Korean attack on the south, assist in defending Taiwan or Australia against possible Chinese or Indonesian agression and most importantly act as counter to the growing Chinese naval build up. The past is just that, the past.  Japan is not going to go riding into Korea or Manchuria again, and the sooner her neighbors, especially South Korea accept this the better, because in an arms race the Japanese have the one thing niether of the primary competitors can match, the worlds second wealthiest economy and a strong, unified national identity that can produce a much larger and more powerful force if backed into a corner.  The other great trump card the Japanese hold is relationship in terms of defense and intelligence with the USA that is second only to the ABC* group.

For Comparison here is a Picture of the newest Japanese DDH, JDS Karuma DDH-144.  Karuma Displaces 5,200 tons and is armed with two 5 inch guns, a Sea Sparrow SAM system, and an ASROC launcher with reloads and six torpedo tubes and two Phalanx CWIS systems.  The 16DDH will be armed with a MK41 VLS for ESSM* and ASROC and 2 Phalanx CWIS and no large guns or tropedo tubes.

*Australia,Britian,Canada *Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile

Posted by: raging tachikoma at 12:23 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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