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Japan's military, among world's strongest, looks to build

129 Comments
By MARI YAMAGUCHI

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They can practice all they want, but all those targets don't shoot back!!! Therefore it is all completely pointless!!! Just a waste of public money!

-21 ( +26 / -47 )

Very high price tags set to go even higher. So much for LDP pledges of "fiscal consolidation."

9 ( +27 / -18 )

When your neighbors wont stop building bigger and bigger militaries, and they covet your territories, you can do nothing and wait for them to take it from you, or you can prepare to defend yourself to keep what is yours.

You go for decades being peaceful, and spending as little as you can to alarm others. Then those around you build up for war making you do the same.

Japan did not start this arms race, and it does not need to win it, but it must keep demonstrating an ability to make any attack on it not worth the attempt.

17 ( +39 / -22 )

China military budget is 5x that of Japan.

China is already ahead in several areas like hypersonic missiles, railgun technology, building their own stealth planes, several models, plus stealth bombers.

Did I mention aircraft carriers, Nuclear submarines and nuclear weapons. All is happening fast and quickly, while Japan has to think 10+ years if building a helicopter carrier is too much to handle for the constitution and people.

-8 ( +20 / -28 )

To be honest, the era of land troops, tanks and large ships are over. Drones and missiles are the foundation of warfare now.

Japan should develop next generation aircrafts able to operate even without needing a pilot and invest more in drones technology. AI assistance is the future if you ask me.

32 ( +35 / -3 )

Secure the strategic resources and logistical trade routes. If not, Japan won't stand a chance against China and Russia.

Japan lost WW2 because its generals could not learn the word "logistics" as the military depleted its fuels and resources after 7 months since the attack of Pearl Harbor.

6 ( +18 / -12 )

Time for Japan to develop nukes and ICBMs

-32 ( +11 / -43 )

Nippon paper tigers defense forces

-13 ( +14 / -27 )

China military budget is 5x that of Japan.

And China's population is about 10x that of Japan.

I think most in Japan would be happy if the military budget is spent purely on defense. And I suspect most of China's military budget is spent on defense. I don't think either country has bombed foreign countries in my lifetime.

-1 ( +14 / -15 )

Japan needs to be a naval and an air power with a smaller ground force in the north. Subs, aircraft and in my opinion, some type of force projection capability.

We live in an increasingly dangerous part of the world and multiple bad actors wish us ill. We better get ready.

Personally, I wonder who we would get to man all this fancy new equipment.

2 ( +11 / -9 )

I don't know where the author got the idea is that Japan's military's among the world's strongest.

-6 ( +21 / -27 )

Japan also has the one weapon China does not have.

The US military.

25 ( +33 / -8 )

Two negatives does not make a positive. The talk of war and machines that kill are not going to solve any problem. After any war, there is just wasted money and lost souls. But, yeah ~ don't learn from the past.

2 ( +14 / -12 )

Japan is resource poor, so not a jewel to possess. It’s position on a map is a strategic one, for both Russia and China. But not so much as to occupy, that would require such a diversion of resources as to make it a burden. Add to that the USA presence, that’s a prickly pear to deal with. Japan has way bigger issues to deal with internally, get those sorted (never happen) before again asking the public to bear the burden of paying for a military window dressing.

10 ( +17 / -7 )

Japan pretends to be a strong military force and rises up with antiquated weaponry only to become defeated again.

History repeats itself.

We have yet to see a true show of competence and strength from this so called Japan military.

Its not a military by the way

-22 ( +8 / -30 )

Good for Japan.

When pretty much all your neighbors are enemies, totalitarian states, constantly threatening your territory and very existence, there will always be the need for Japan to be one of the the world's strongest militaries. And rightly so.

More long range bombers and missiles, aircraft carriers, and a much bigger recruitment drive in schools and colleges will be needed going forward.

-3 ( +20 / -23 )

Total waste of public money. We are all living on the same planet. There is nowhere else to go. Isn't it about time we put some energy into finding ways to get along better?

16 ( +28 / -12 )

Japan has more than 900 warplanes, 48 destroyers, including eight Aegis missile-combating systems, and 20 submarines. That exceeds Britain, Germany and Italy. Japan is also buying 147 F-35s, including 42 F-35Bs, making it the largest user of American stealth fighters outside of the United States, where 353 are to be deployed.

Not even close to the amount of military expenditure. Only half the picture

The numbers and areas that Japan with US technology has been investing in advanced weaponry is frankly remarkable.

Defense of Japan 2021

https://www.mod.go.jp/en/publ/w_paper/index.html

Please review from 2014......year on year increases.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Nothing to be proud of and besides the title the article does not tell why Japan's army "among world's strongest"

4 ( +13 / -9 )

Good for Japan. Better spend the money to support your own army than somebody else's.

-8 ( +9 / -17 )

Japan's military, among world's strongest

Its the same claim in media that China's navy is the world's largest

But nevertheless, it is actually in China's interest that Japan becomes militarised.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

They can practice all they want, but all those targets don't shoot back!!! Therefore it is all completely pointless!!! Just a waste of public money!

Not sure how the Japanese practice but the US certainly uses an aggressor force to train against. Nobody is shooting live rounds at each other ( a lot of live ammo is expended on targets to train the crews in handling and shooting live ammo and some of the targets are moving) but both sides shoot at each other electronically while maneuvering in the field just as they would in combat, and vehicles or troops that are hit are removed from the exercise to simulate the losses that would be incurred from actual combat. The training the US Army and its allies do is highly realistic. In the US the aggressor forces often use actual Russian or other foreign equipment to add realism. The Czech Republic still makes new T-72 tanks and other nations still produce their own copies of old Soviet equipment that the US can buy for training. Same thing with helicopters, the US Army has Mi-24s and some other Russian helos available. The US Navy operated former East German MiG-29s for a time at their Top Gun fighter school but they wore out too quickly ( airframes were only designed for 1100 hours and engines failed before their 400 hour scheduled overhaul) and required a lot more maintenance than an A-4 or F-16. Find out how the Army trains at Fort Irwin and the Marines at Twentynine Palms. Find out how a Red Flag exercise is conducted. The US at least makes it as close to real warfare as possible. You fight like you train because when live ammo is flying and you are scared to death you rely on your training.

12 ( +15 / -3 )

Total waste of public money. We are all living on the same planet. There is nowhere else to go. Isn't it about time we put some energy into finding ways to get along better?

Please pass the memo to Xi Jinping. Asia wasn't arming up until China started making claims to territories that are not theirs while building a vast military seemingly intent on imposing China will on everyone else in the region, willing or not. Should Japan just shrug its collective shoulders when a major Chinese government controlled publication calls Okinawa "Japanese occupied"? Should the world just ignore China claiming all of the South China Sea as sovereign Chinese territorial waters and airspace?

8 ( +16 / -8 )

LDTMToday  06:42 am JST

I know it’s an unpopular opinion, but a well trained/maintained military is one of those things that’s nice to have and not need rather than need and not have.

It didn't do Napoleon a whole lot of good.

AlexToday  08:16 am JST

Good for Japan. Better spend the money to support your own army than somebody else's.

How about when they spend the money to support their own army and somebody else's?

5 ( +10 / -5 )

I don't think either country has bombed foreign countries in my lifetime.

not sure of your age, but China has invaded Tibet (1950) & Vietnam (1979). I’m sure there was some bombing

10 ( +15 / -5 )

Japan pretends to be a strong military force and rises up with antiquated weaponry only to become defeated again.

The misinformation here. There is nothing antiquated about Japan's SDF equipment or training. That tank on the lead photo called the T-10 is among the most modern in the world. It has the firepower and armor of heavier American and European tanks but at a lighter weight compatible with most Japanese roads and bridges. Japan operates the T-90, which is a copy of the German Leopard II, among the very best tanks ever made, but they are restricted to Hokkaido because they are too heavy for the roads and bridges in the rest of Japan. They greatly outclass anything the Russians or Chinese have. Likewise the JMSDF. They have a thoroughly modern force. Japan's guided missile destroyers are better than anything in any other Navy except maybe the US and the small number of nearly identical Sejong the Great DDGs in the ROK navy. I have seen the PLAN and JMSDF up close and personal, even cruised with a JMSDF squadron. They are pros, and woe to any sub that thinks they can get inside a Japanese surface force. JMSDF is probably the best ASW navy in the world, equal in every way to the USN in that regard. Your sneering dismissal of Japans forces is not based on any knowledge of what they have. It's good. I have seen it with my own eyes and know.

9 ( +19 / -10 )

Fighto!Today  07:51 am JST

...and a much bigger recruitment drive in schools and colleges will be needed going forward.

I expect you'll be first in line to join up with that gung-ho attitude. Or is it only good for Japan when it's high school and university graduates putting themselves in danger?

9 ( +15 / -6 )

Which country might launch a land invasion of Japan? China? Probably best to just surrender of they did.

-12 ( +4 / -16 )

Don't ever under-estimate the ruthless resolve of the Japanese soldier.

The British did in Singapore.

The Fall of Singapore

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryofBritain/The-Fall-of-Singapore/

This tiny sovereign island nation was the scene of the largest surrender of British-led forces ever recorded in history.

When the Japanese did attack, it was indicative of their military prowess in the region at the time. Their soldiers were ruthless, brutal and fearless, and the attack happened with a speed and savagery that took the British forces completely by surprise.

Encouraged not to take prisoners, simply to execute those in their path, the Japanese swept through Singapore with the force of a tsunami, leaving shock and destruction in their wake.

The fighting began in the north in Malaya. Here Percival’s troops were soon humiliated at the Battle of Jitra between the 11th and 12th December 1941. On January 31st 1942, overestimating the size of the enemy forces,

If fact, the final push on British led forces, estimated to be close to 100,000 was achieved with just 23,000 Japanese troops, some on stolen bicycles.

-3 ( +7 / -10 )

There's no way they're the 5th military power in the world. That's just laughable.

Japan has no nukes. And Japan has essentially no combat experience.

-4 ( +11 / -15 )

Playing the pathetic US game..

Don't do it Japan..

Time for Japan to develop nukes and ICBMs

Easy kid, world doesn't needs nukes..

0 ( +11 / -11 )

by any means sseems nice business for USA,both their weapon makers who can sell for high price when pushed japanese side and for US army who can have nice funding from our taxes when pushed by US government.

all in all Japan is not sovereign country and fact is is still occupied and even paying high cpsts for it by our taxes.

so yes from my pony of view-worthless tax wasting.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

Of course times have changed, J youth would rather stare transfixed into a smart phone.

Politics is for grandpa and grandma.

Has the J military changed, indeed with the aid of the very latest state of the art weaponry.

The question remains, has that ruthless savagery mellowed over the decades of peaceful co existence?

Would anyone really want to find out?

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Desert tortoise- Please pass the memo to Xi Jinping. Asia wasn't arming up until China started making claims to territories that are not theirs while building a vast military seemingly intent on imposing China will on everyone else in the region

Think back to the 1920’s and what you have described is exactly what Japan did in the first half of last century.

Japan may well have a strong military but it pails in comparison to the hundreds of millions of military personnel in its two major foes of Russia and China. Both of these countries still have a great deal of animosity towards Japan from the first half of last century. If it wasn’t for the US military presence in Japan these two countries would swat Japan like a fly in the blink of an eye.

2 ( +10 / -8 )

@CitizenSmith

One of the strongest militaries in the world? Don't make me laugh

OK, laugh away. And then explain us logically, with facts and professional opinion, what's wrong with this statement about the strength of SDF.

@Lindsay

it pails in comparison to the hundreds of millions of military personnel in its two major foes of Russia and China. Both of these countries still have a great deal of animosity towards Japan from the first half of last century

"Hundreds of millions of military personnel", seriously? Check Wiki or something for actual numbers.

Russia is not a military threat, the territorial dispute with it is a political nuisance, but not a threat. Even the ostensible ally South Korea is a more of a threat, a country that "still have a great deal of animosity towards Japan from the first half of last century". The real threats are North Korea and China, but Japan can handle them.

5 ( +11 / -6 )

itsonlyrocknrollToday  09:15 am JST

Has the J military changed, indeed with the aid of the very latest state of the art weaponry.

The question remains, has that ruthless savagery mellowed over the decades of peaceful co existence?

Would anyone really want to find out?

Possibly not. Maybe that's why the Chinese and North Koreans invest so much in getting tooled up themselves.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Samit Basu

I don't know where the author got the idea is that Japan's military's among the world's strongest.

The source is Global Firepower as the article itself says. According to Global Firepower,

The finalized Global Firepower ranking below utilizes over 50 individual factors to determine a given nation's PowerIndex ('PwrIndx') score with categories ranging from military might and financials to logistical capability and geography.

Our unique, in-house formula allows for smaller, more technologically-advanced, nations to compete with larger, lesser-developed ones and special modifiers, in the form of bonuses and penalties, are applied to further refine the annual list. Color arrows indicate year-over-year trend comparison (IncreaseStableDecline)

https://www.globalfirepower.com/countries-listing.php

Here is the top 20 nations according to them.

USA

RUSSIA

CHINA

INDIA

JAPAN

S.KOREA

FRANCE

UK

BRAZIL

PAKSTAN

TURKEY

ITALY

EGYPT

IRAN

GERMANY

INDONESIA

SAUDI ARABIA

SPAIN

AUSTRALIA

ISRAEL
11 ( +13 / -2 )

Probably like everything here, we always have a nice presentation, great facade. But it's always about the weakest link in the chain that is in the background. And that is here, the absence of elementary crisis management, decision-making in critical situations and the difficulty of cooperation outside a certain circle (whether people or technicians). If a new, unexpected situation arises, everything stops and there is debate about how to do what. Except for a few progressive companies, there is no one who would step in and go with the crisis scenario.

Yes, we can do various exercises and drills and we can demonstrate it nicely. It's just that when it comes to breaking bread....

And our, even a complete JSDF force would do nothing against some action by our neighbours. At least against the sheer number of personnel the neighbouring armies have.

But yeah, at least we can boast. Our citizens will not question this at all.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

If JSDF is real good, I believe they are, the less their enemies know about them or underestimate them the better.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Total waste of public money. We are all living on the same planet. There is nowhere else to go. Isn't it about time we put some energy into finding ways to get along better?

Fermi paradox. Most species tend to self destruct before achieving interstellar travel.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

There is a high price for Freedom . . . .

4 ( +5 / -1 )

An even a higher price for subservience to one own government

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Given Japan's poor fiscal health, any funding that is used to expand the military will be diverted away from social programs for young people, child support and unemployment benefits.

This will worsen the birth rate, intensify ageing of the population....and then within 20 years China won't need to invade Japan, becuase Japanese society and economy will be utterly broken.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

mobius217Today  11:09 am JST

The main problem with Japan's budget is "Social Security", made up disproportionately of elderly (unproductive) people. Defence is perhaps the first service the State provides for its citizens.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

This one served with honor to . . . and to Japan . . . .

1 ( +3 / -2 )

This article veers almost completely from any standards of journalism. It's a cheery propaganda piece exhorting the status of Japan being ranked the number 5 military power, as if an athletic team involved in a contest or more so a 'tournament of death'. There is even a reference to cheering troops on the sideline. Which is more than creepy, as the 'practice' entails 'killing' an enemy, not just spraying the area with munitions. The justification(s) for spending insane amounts of money on technology and machinery to defend from an illusory enemy is at the behest of the USA and right-wing, conservative politicians in the LDP.

This is amusing, as a justification for an increased Japanese military: Abe watered down the war-renouncing Article 9 of the constitution in 2015, allowing Japan to come to the defense of the United States and other partner nations. Japan is going to defend the USA mainland? (That's rhetorical for those argumentative souls)

Neither China or Russia is going to invade Japan. That is ludicrous. There is naught to be gained, Japan is resource poor - nor does it make sense as realpolitik or as part & parcel of a geopolitical stratagem. China is about economic conquest - it's about business: manufacturing, assembly, sales, finance, resources and increasing power thru moneymaking - not warfare. The use of military force is a strategy of the USA as its empire diminishes and economic power wanes - Afghanistan & Iraq as prime examples - it is a failed policy and certainly not a model for an emerging China, China is about economic power. Nor a good model for Japan to act as sappers, throwing itself on the wire in a vain attempt at defending the USA from China.

Nor will China invade Taiwan. Eventually, Taiwan will be absorbed into the Chinese Empire through political means, Taiwan will do so through the electoral process without being coerced.

The casual invoking of warfare as a viable attribute, instead of diplomacy and commerce, completely denies the reality of war. No one wins a war, it isn't a game. It is a deadly undertaking in which civilian populations suffer incredible loss and the wreck and ruin of economies and the body social.

As for expensive weaponry: in Vietnam a peasant army defeated the USA and turned out China. Most recently after decades of war a poorly armed peasant army defeated the USA in Afghanistan, just as they did the Russians aka USSR.

The current arc, arming & increasing Japan's military, is aimed at provoking war, not defense. A fool's errand undertaken by old men willing to sacrifice others to enhance their own power.

The high price of freedom? That's laughable. Wasting lives and resources in a death match has nothing to do with any ideals. It's simply a failure to act with wisdom and intelligence.

-2 ( +10 / -12 )

this is good to hear... i also hope Japan can start developing their own weapons as opposed to buying from the US... looking forward to seeing the Mitsubishi F-X ..

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

Clearly, Article 9 of the Japanese ("Peace"?) Constitution isn't worth the paper it's written on after right-wing politicians have got off their gilded pots. Just changing the name from "Army" to "SDF" seems to suffice to pacify the people, but... Give Me a (tax) Break! I, for one, am sick and tired of this military monkey on my back.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Here is the top 20 nations according to them.

USA

RUSSIA

CHINA

INDIA

JAPAN

S.KOREA

Whoever comes up with these rankings is laughable. There is no way India is stronger militarily than Japan. Japan in reality is #4 in this list.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

Its because the headline of the article is dyslexic !

It should be more accurately written as - "Japan looks to build among the worlds strongest military"

A simple translation issue.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

The current arc, arming & increasing Japan's military, is aimed at provoking war, not defense. A fool's errand undertaken by old men willing to sacrifice others to enhance their own power.

A point made. All about the loot. Fight over wins for owners-buyers-suppliers.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Japan has no nukes. And Japan has essentially no combat experience.

All I can tell you is that I have been on warships from a good many navies including the Royal Navy and of course the US Navy and Coast Guard. You can see the lessons of combat everywhere you go inside a JMSDF warship. You are banging your head, your shins and rubbing your elbows on damage control gear. Wood shoring, plugs, braces, fire hoses, different nozzles and applicators, low light cameras, portable pumps, hot suits, you name it. There isn't even one piece of decorative wood inside. Even British warships have wood paneling, wooden hand rails and false overheads, even rugs all of which are major fire hazards in combat and rugs are just waiting to clog the eductors of dewatering and firefighting pumps. GErman and Italian warships are downright luxurious in places inside, stuff you never see on US or Japanese warships because all those appointments that look so nice are huge fire hazards. The have all the NBC (Nuclear, Biological and Chemical ) warfare features found on US Navy ships, and marked the same as the US ships too. Japanese ships ooze combat experience. They are designed to take hits and survive. The JMSDF learned the lessons of WWII.

By comparison Russian and Chinese warships have darn little in the way of firefighting or damage control equipment on board. You see decorative drop ceilings and roll around office chairs in them. Roll around office chairs don't work very well in a big mid Pacific swell. Think about it. That new PLAN aircraft carrier has electronic smart card operated locks on interior compartment doors. They have not had to deal with a ship that has lost power and is burning and sinking. I would hate to have to deal with an electronically locked door when there is no power, trying to break through it to fight a fire in the compartment behind it. I would also hate to be trapped behind one unable to get out. The Luda Class and Harbin that visited San Diego had plywood interior partitions. The decks and major bulkheads were steel but all the interior office spaces, work shops and living spaces were partitioned with wood. Interior cabinets and lockers were wood too. I have seen this same thing on some Soviet diesel electric subs. When one of those catches fire all you can do is abandon ship. I guess that's why the PLAN didn't spend a lot of money on damage control equipment on them. Japan has much better and much more survivable equipment, better than almost any other navy has.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

Great let’s go to war ;-)

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

i also hope Japan can start developing their own weapons as opposed to buying from the US... l

The great majority of Japan's weapons are produced in Japan. A lot of it are domestic home grown designs like the Kawasaki P-1 and Mitsubishi C-2, or the Type 10 tank shown on the lead photo of this article. That is a Japanese design unique to the JGSDF. JMSDF warships are all designed and constructed in Japan. Most of the aircraft, even the F-15s, CH-46, CH-47 and SH-60s are built in Japan under license. Japan has a unique OH-1 scout helicopter for the JGSDF. Most of the JMSDFs radars and sonars are Japanese designed and built. Aegis and the big SPY radars and some air defense missiles are the only major US made components of Japanese ships. Japan has their own anti-ship missiles for them. The JGSDF license builds a lot of European weapons and ground vehicles.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

@socrateos

https://www.globalfirepower.com/countries-listing.php

Here is the top 20 nations according to them.

You can ignore Global Firepower.

Global Firepower measures a country's capacity to wage war, and factors in things like conscriptable male population, GDP, natural resources, on top of the standing army's size and capaibility.

This has nothing to do with each country's military's ability to execute and win war.

Take a look at No. 20 Israel.

There are only 3 countries in the world that could wage an all out non-nuclear war against Israel and win; they are the US, Russia, and Korea.

Seriously, do you expect Brazil(No. 9), Pakistan(No. 10), and Turkey(No. 11) to be able to beat Israel in a war?

@Fighto!

Whoever comes up with these rankings is laughable.

Well, it's Global Firepower, so you can safely ignore it.

There is no way India is stronger militarily than Japan. Japan in reality is #4 in this list.

Japan is out of no. 10.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

as hundreds of soldiers cheered from the sidelines and waved unit flags…

while only 1,300 GSDF troops are active on that little drill. That alone tells the story. The equipment might be available one day with such 2% per annum budgets, but there’s no staff available to handle it. Aging society, education desert etc as a few hints. 99.9% won’t even be capable of reading the English manual on dismantling and cleaning their machine gun, I guess. And they also can’t ask their US colleagues for help on this or would understand their answer. And that’s only slightly scratching the problem mountain’s surface. lol

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

@ Desert Tortoise

well without the US military Japan wouldn't have a JSDF now would it !

The Japanese imperial army weaponry i was referring to.

You know a real Japanese military.

The one that was disarmed.

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

The main problem with Japan's budget is "Social Security", made up disproportionately of elderly (unproductive) people.

Those 'unproductive' boomers are the ones who built Japan up after the war from a basket case into the world's second-largest economy, a country well worth defending. They've earned their pensions.

Invalid CSRF

4 ( +9 / -5 )

Good, good Japan!

A re-militarized Japan means no more need for the US!

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

Well if you are hell bent on killing a generation again, then go for it. But please make my children and grandchildren exempt from the slaughter. You can be as proud as you like with a pot of ashes on a shrine. Me I’d really be more impressed with my great grandchildren having a happy life.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

@ReasonAndWisdomNippon

China is already ahead in several areas like hypersonic missiles, 

Hypersonic missile is a good indicator of each country's military prowess.

Right now, there are five countries working on air-breathing hypersonic missiles. They are

1) Russia

2) China

3) Korea

4) US

5) India

You really can say just four because Indian version is merely a license developed version of Russian Zircon missile. Russia, China, US, and Korea represent the four military superpowers of our time.

https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/missile-defense-weapons/south-korea-unveils-hypersonic-cruise-missile-prototype

South Korea Unveils Hypersonic Cruise Missile Prototype Concept

December 06, 2021

SEOUL—South Korea has revealed plans to begin testing a prototype for a ground-launched hypersonic cruise missile in 2022.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

Hypersonic missile is a good indicator of each country's military prowess.

Right now, there are five countries working on air-breathing hypersonic missiles. They are

1) Russia

2) China

3) Korea

4) US

5) India

LoL. A nation that can't even launch a rocket right that Japan had capabilities from the 1970s.

Korea is always making these kind of announcement that they cannot carry out and the mess with their homemade weapons makes even China blush.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Tanks are redundant in modern war.

1 ( +8 / -7 )

Japan's military, among world's strongest, looks to build

They should, as the CCP is relentlessly building up its military. However, I do not see what the tanks in the picture can do to help Taiwan. Japan should build up its navy.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

A simple translation issue.

Er, it's a syndicated story from a U.S. wire service. No translation involved.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who took office in October, said during his first troop review that he would consider “all options,” including possibly pursuing pre-emptive strike capabilities to further “increase Japan’s defense power” — a divisive issue that opponents say violates the constitution.

Japanese aggression is starting to bloom…

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Would like to believe you @UK9393 1:59pm IF you can tell us Your qualifications for such an opinion:

- ****@UK9393 1:59pm: “Tanks are redundant in modern war.”

How many years exactly, ‘boots on the ground’ time in ‘military’ service ?

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

True. You haven't see the mightiest Japan of all, all clues in Gundam and Macross video since . They have Gundam Robot already display in public. Who knows they have mass produce lots of gundam in underground and training pilots. That would change the conventional war of old Russia and China.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Tanks are redundant in modern war,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8W1febifX8&ab_channel=NairiHokhikyan

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Against a modern, hi-tech equipped force, tanks, as UK wrote, are redundant. Russia is really reluctant to commit tanks to the Ukraine front, and are even adding "canopy" armament to their tanks to try and add protection from Turkish bought drones and other new weapons that make tanks obsolete.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Japan may well have a strong military but it pails in comparison to the hundreds of millions of military personnel in its two major foes of Russia and China.

Both nations entire military forces added together does not even come close to ten million let alone "hundreds of millions". Such blatant lies do nothing to support your post or point of view.

China's total forces of Regular, reserve and paramilitary = 4,015,000

Russia's total forces of Regular, reserve and paramilitary = 3,568,000

Total = 7,583,000

Japan total = 317,500

US total = 2,233,050

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_military_and_paramilitary_personnel

Russian forces are about 40% conscripts

China has over 20% conscripts. China conscripts about 450,000 per year for two year terms.

The US is a fully professional force as is Japan.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

They have Gundam Robot already display in public. Who knows they have mass produce lots of gundam in underground and training pilots. That would change the conventional war of old Russia and China.

Yes it would be a turkey shoot as the slow and very large robots would be easy targets for missiles.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

A YouTube video with music & captions doesn’t really qualify Your opinion @Uk9393 1:59pm. My third grader can produce one of those. - Still waiting for you enlightened us with the exact amount of your practical experience in the military.

@UK9393 3:30pm: “Tanks are redundant in modern war.”

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Would believe @DesertTortoise in the meantime.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

A YouTube video with music & captions doesn’t really qualify Your opinion

Actually, the music and the captions make up for the lack of "content".

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Japan is very lucky, not having spent trillions or billions on totally useless nuclear weapons and other related equipment like carriers and huge ICBM- delivery systems and submarines.

In a possible new war, all that outdated hardware can be taken out by stealthily AI-piloted extremely accurate cruse missiles .

All that those missiles need is a mobile number in Kremlin.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Digital defense !

Forget about tanks and all that antiquated weaponry

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Actually the govt manipulates the numbers so we don't really know how strong the military is. Most probably it's a lot stronger than what official numbers tell us.

They don't do enough testing. If they do tests like the other strong countries we'll have a clearer idea of how extensive really is Japan's military

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Hey here's an idea. Since Japan's youth are becoming poorer everyday with more and more of them working temporary jobs with poverty wages, why not create program to draft these young people into the military with a livable salary. At least that way the government can justify military spending whilst improving living conditions for the people.

Oh one can keep dreaming.

Given that the growing elderly population is becoming the LDP's largest voter base, the government will keep paying welfare for the oyajis at the expense of the youth.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

In the J Mod white paper, there is whole section and references to Taiwan.

The J Government policy strategy toward Taiwan is significantly shifting.

Tokyo has always markedly been reluctant to make pro-Taiwan stratagem statements alongside the United States,

This MOD white paper, Japanese pointedly refers to a more increasingly focused willingness to “protect Taiwan as a democratic country”

Japan is unmistakably changing policy. Taiwan democracy is now “important for Japan’s security and the stability of the international community”

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Among the strongest in finances perhaps.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

So - what planet do some of you arm-chair generals come from? If history teaches us anything - it has taught us that appeasing an expansionist authoritarian bully - is a disaster - one must be prepared and they must understand that you are prepared - are the Senkakus worth fighting over? - not really - but what happens next? which means yes - they are worth fighting over - Peace in Our Time might have been achieved if the line in the sand was made real with force -

Drilling is important - sure - the targets don't fire back - but experience drilling - discipline - working as a team - being evaluated and improving is what it's about it also show's would be expansionist authoritarian aggressors your capabilities -

I am quite sure that the Japanese military is in consultation with the US and the weapons systems they procure fit in to models of combat capabilities that top analysts are working on -

It is not money badly spent - it is the price of peace - it is the only thing a tyrant bent on acquiring lebensraum at the cost of their neighbor's borders understands

2 ( +3 / -1 )

it also show's would be expansionist authoritarian aggressors your capabilities

Isn't that a bad thing, i.e. to let your enemy know what you can do? Or you suggest that these "would be aggressors" will get scared and drop their evil plans?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Right now, there are five countries working on air-breathing hypersonic missiles. They are

1) Russia

2) China

3) Korea

4) US

5) India

You forgot that Australia has been researching and testing Scramjets sucessfully for a couple of decades.

"A supersonic scramjet engine has been successfully launched from a test range in Australia. The Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) said the scramjet reached 10 times the speed of sound during the test." That test was in 2007.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12075-scramjet-hits-mach-10-over-australia/

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Japan's military, among world's strongest

That is a laughable statement!!! I wouldn't trust SDF to protect an outhouse!

And in above posted list Israel is listed as 20th, they have nuclear weapons!!!

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

not sure of your age, but China has invaded Tibet (1950) & Vietnam (1979). I’m sure there was some bombing

Fair point. The Tibet invasion was before my time (born 1955) but the Vietnam conflict was quite bad.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

So if SDF is so great, why didn't they shoot down even a single NK missile that were flying over Japan? And why didn't they shoot back at the NK ship which was firing on and ramming the Japan Coast Guard ship? All this does not give me any confidence in Japan's defense forces. Therefore I see it all as just a waste of taxpayers money!

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

I agree with Yang. Tanks are redundant. The video posted of the tanks being destroyed clearly demonstrates their vulnerability on a modern battle field. QED. Plus, Google is your friend -- if you need more information. I suggest "tank obsolete" if you're struggling to form a search request.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

If anyone is interested in how new weapons and new types of warfare have brought about the end of tanks as weapons on modern battlefields. Here you are:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tank+destroyed+kornet

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Tanks are redundant

Only they are not. Every major military has a heap of them and they continue to be developed and built in their thousands around the world. They provide mobile firepower in the field that is unmatched still, and they provide protection to vulnerable Infantry. They have strengths and weaknesses like most weapons systems. Great for some jobs and useless at others.

Their time is not yet past. Any army group equipped with main battle tanks has a decided advantage over a simple Infantry force.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Thinking of aggressions again???.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

@Yang, some interesting stuff there, I think they are not quite done, but they are certainly becoming a very vulnerable piece of equipment on as you wrote modern battlefields. They are difficult to move around, deploy, maintain and use. They are going the way of the Dreadnought class battleships. Advanced weaponry is looking at making autonomous, or remotely controlled systems to reduce the need for protection, and thereby increase speed and firepower. MBT will be a thing of the past.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

@Peter14: Any army group equipped with main battle tanks has a decided advantage over a simple Infantry force.

Have you heard of the Taliban?

6 ( +8 / -2 )

@Hiro To be honest, the era of land troops, tanks and large ships are over. Drones and missiles are the foundation of warfare now.

Japan should develop next generation aircrafts able to operate even without needing a pilot and invest more in drones technology. AI assistance is the future if you ask me. Do you really think that Japan is going to tell its citizens everything that they "NEED TO KNOW" Japan has one of the best Navys in the world some of the best submarine technology. Rest assure Japan is not sleeping. Mark my words and watch the news next year Japan will get drones. I will say this I know how many but I will not say much more! Its funny readying the comments from people who are so out of touch in this world. Those who know, keep their mouths shut while those who speak gibberish guess. How do I know I see, touch and test them EVERYDAY.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Japan should develop next generation aircrafts able to operate even without needing a pilot and invest more in drones technology.

Actually JASDF has done research on fixed wing aerial drones that can land and take off by itself two decades ago. The project name was TACOM.

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%84%A1%E4%BA%BA%E6%A9%9F%E7%A0%94%E7%A9%B6%E3%82%B7%E3%82%B9%E3%83%86%E3%83%A0

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

"There is naught to be gained, Japan is resource poor - nor does it make sense as realpolitik or as part & parcel of a geopolitical stratagem. China is about economic conquest"

When did you last looked at a World Map?!

Even I, a non-militay strategist can see Japan blocking China's access to the Pacific.

Can't you?!

Look at a map.

Please.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Tanks are redundant in modern war,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8W1febifX8&ab_channel=NairiHokhikyan

Sigh. More disinformation. Those are old T-72s with rolled steel armor and some explosive reactive armor on top. The US Army popped those things like pimples during both wars in Iraq. They're junk. They have 20 rounds of ammo on a carousel inside the crew compartment to feed the auto loader. US tanks were blowing them up with a single shot from over 1700 meters while on the move. The ammo blows and that's it. Even a Bradly troop carrier took one out with its 25 mm chain gun (the T-72 main gun is 125 mm for comparison sake). The gunner aimed at the turret ring and blew up a tank with a 25 mm gun! Meanwhile those very same T-72s could not take out any western tank. Not one. Their auto loaders are achingly slow, the gun has to be dead level during loading and the turret cannot be slewed either. That means the tank commander cannot aim at the next target until the next load is in the barrel. On US tanks loading is done manually and the tank commander is aiming at the next target slewing the turret and elevating the gun while the loader loads. Manual loading is also twice as fast as the Russian autoloaders. Net result? The US tanks had a much higher rate of fire. The Russian autoloaders also fail in hard use, not a problem for a manual loader. M-1s scored single shot kills at 1700 meters while the tanks is running across the desert.

The Iraqi tanks occasionally hit them but western tanks don't use rolled homogenous steel armor. That's WWII tech. Western tanks have highly classified composite armor and it is removable for field repair of battle damage. The reactive armor used on Russian tanks to compensate for their lack of composite armor is supposed to disrupt shaped charges but the west long ago came up with two stage charges. The first charge is to blow the reactive armor then the second charge takes out the tank. The Russians don't have a round that can get past the armor of an M-1A2, a Leopard or the Japanese Type-90. Nobody does. Nobody has ever lost their life in an M-1A2 in combat. They can take hits and protect the crew. The ammo is at the back of the turret behind a titanium armored wall with a blow out panel on top. Hits to the ammo compartment blow the top off and the ammo goes, but the crew is safe. This has happened in combat and it works as advertised. There is no ammo carried in the crew compartment as one finds on Russian tanks.

There were occasions where M-1s were disabled in Baghdad by rebels shooting an RPG into the rear, damaging the engine ( a problem since remedied by something called TUSK ). Urban warfare is different from tank warfare such as we saw in the open deserts of Iraq. Lesson learned and now US tanks have slat armor and some other features to defeat such attacks. But the US didn't want to abandon a tank in rebel territory so they had to blow it up. Another M-1 couldn't do it. The armor on them is so good even the US best depleted uranium anti-tank round could not defeat it. Next they tried Hellfire missiles from an Apache. No luck, couldn't blow the tank. They ended up having to use Maverick, which is only shot from airplanes due to its weight.

It is telling that many European nations who decommission their tank forces after the end of the Cold War are now buying lots of new tanks. Lessons from the middle east where the value of tanks was well demostrated.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Desert Tortoise

It's next to impossible to manually load and shoot a round while the tank is making high speed slalom turns like the type 10 tanks does.

Automation will replace that kind of manual labor.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Interesting read from a qualified source @DesertTortoise 12:00am:

*“Sigh. More disinformation.” responding to - [@8:52pm: Tanks are redundant in modern war,*]

“*It is telling that many European nations who decommission their tank forces after the end of the Cold War are now buying lots of new tanks. *Lessons from the middle east where the value of tanks was well demostrated.” -

Have a good night. -
-4 ( +1 / -5 )

OK. So we now know that Global Firepowers puts Japan's military power in the 5th place in the world.

(1) USA (2) RUSSIA (3) CHINA (4) INDIA (5) JAPAN... 

https://www.globalfirepower.com/countries-listing.php

Here are a few other rankings:

US News & World Report: Japan is the 6th place in the "Most Powerful Countries" List.

(1) USA (2) CHINA (3) RUSSIA (4) GERMANY (5) UK (6) JAPAN ...

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/power-rankings

Business Insiders: Japan is 4th place in their "World's 20 Strongest Militaries"

(1) USA (2) CHINA (3) RUSSIA (4) JAPAN ...

https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/ranked-the-worlds-20-strongest-militaries/slidelist/51930339.cms#slideid=51930340

CEOWORLD Magazine: Japan is 7th place

(1) USA (2) CHINA (3) RUSSIA (4) INDIA (5) FRANCE (6) GERMANY (7) JAPAN ...

https://ceoworld.biz/2021/01/02/the-worlds-most-powerful-countries-for-2021-ranked/

4 ( +4 / -0 )

It's next to impossible to manually load and shoot a round while the tank is making high speed slalom turns like the type 10 tanks.

That is exactly how it is done. One of the great advantages of western tanks is their gyrostabilized guns and targeting systems allow them to shoot on the run with great accuracy. The tanks themselves ride surprisingly smoothly and the loader is braced inside the turret. The loaders knee operates a switch to open and close the door to the ammo bustle. You can pull up videos of them on-line. The Russian tanks beat their crews to death but US and German tanks ride like cars.

The US Army won't go with autoloaders in tanks. They consider them too failure prone (the Russian ones sure are) where a dedicated loader can load a round every 4 seconds. That is the standard, hot gun crews can load and shoot even faster if there are targets. One of the reasons the US Army has not adopted a larger caliber tank gun is that the ammo starts to get too heavy for one person to load, necessitating an autoloader the US Army is loathe to adopt. Another reason is that larger calibers mean fewer rounds on board and more stops to reload. Not good. Instead they concentrate on hotter propellants for higher muzzle velocities.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

A nation in most instances needs enough military might to make it too costly for their likely adversaries to think it worth their while to attack. Unfortunately for Japan her most likely adversaries are two of the most powerful nuclear powers in the world. Worse for her, both of these nations have shown an appetite for other nation's territory. That places a high bar for the JSDF to leap over.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Happy not telling you which countries sell most war equipment. No source no weapon.

No experience, no efficiency.

No nuke, no global firepower.

Who would dare attack a country protected by nuke missiles, whether it is Israel or Japan ?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Japan's defense budget in 2019 was $47.6 billion. Japan maintains 259,800 military personnel. Budget-wise, Japan ranks 9th place among nations. Troop-wise, 24th. Compare these figures with top three nations. 

The U.S., with 1,492,200 troops, spent $731 billion; China, with 2,993,600 troops, spent $261.1 billion; India, with 2,728,700 troops, spent $71.1 billion. 

Even though Japan's defense budget and troop size may be small, compared with these nations, the article says Japan's military is among the world's strongest and is expanding. The irony is that the Japanese government says Japan doesn't have a military but only a "self-defense force".

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The U.S. used to call an office dealing with military affairs "war department". They stopped calling it so; instead, they call it "Defense Department" or the Pentagon.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

When north korea fired a missile over hokkaido and into the Pacific Japan did nothing but whining about it.

What kind of military would allow that ?

What kind of self defense is that?

Chinese coastguard is weaponized and enter Japanese city limits of the yaeyama Islands every two days - what has the Japanese military done besides whining about that.

Building a military base in ishigaki .

Is Japan government protecting its borders and providing enough health care?

Obviously not !

0 ( +3 / -3 )

The U.S. used to call an office dealing with military affairs "war department". They stopped calling it so; instead, they call it "Defense Department" or the Pentagon.

The US Constitution requires a land force to be re-authorized every two years while there is no such restriction on the Navy. The founders feared a standing army would become the gravest threat to personal liberty and wanted Congress to keep a tight rein on any land force, hence the requirement that the land force be specifically reauthorized (allowed to exist) every two years. It was envisioned that during peace time most land forces would be in the form of state militias under state control unless and until Congress authorized them to be mustered into a national army to fight a war. Upon the war's end the land forces would return to the control of their respective states. Requiring Congress to reauthorize that land force every two years was seen as insurance a President would not use a standing army to usurp freedoms at home or engage in wars abroad. Before WWII there was a Department of War that would fund and regulate the land forces and a Department of the Navy who's purpose is self explanatory.

WWII exposed the several weakness with this organizational structure, not the least of which was the prominence of air power, which was under the control of the Army during the war and thus competing for resources with the land forces. In 1947 the entire US military was reorganized to have a unified command similar to that of the Germans with one officer senior to all regardless of branch affiliation, and a new branch of the military, the Air Force, was created. All three branches, instead of being separate cabinet level departments, would be subordinate to a single cabinet level official, the Secretary of Defense. The Uniform Code of Military Justice replaced the service specific body of rules, disciplinary procedures and punishments. Ranks and associated pay grades were made uniform across the services.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Good, good Japan!

Preparation is key. You cannot rely on foreigners to defend your country.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

We must not be fooled by charades or word plays. The world is replete with such word plays and shenanigans. Take the names of nations, for example.

Do nations live up to the nice names they call themselves? Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democracy of the United States of America, People’s Republic of China – Do they really live up to their namesake?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

BritloverDec. 7 09:55 pm JST

@Peter14: Any army group equipped with main battle tanks has a decided advantage over a simple Infantry force.

Have you heard of the Taliban?

Indeed. Please tell me how many main battle tanks they destroyed in 20 years of fighting, considering few were deployed to the mountainous terrain. I cant find mention of any.

They were used to good effect in freeing Kuwait and in the Iraqi war.

Countries with the most tanks:-

8 China - 3,205.

7 Iran - 3,709.

6 Egypt - 3,735.

5 Syria - 3,740.

4 India - 4,730.

3 United States of America - 6,100.

2 North Korea - 6,145.

1 Russia - 13,000.

Japan has 1,004 Main battle tanks.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Kyo wa heiwa dayo ne

When north korea fired a missile over hokkaido and into the Pacific Japan did nothing but whining about it.

What SHOULD it have done about it in your mind? Please tell.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

@Pete: The Gulf War is not a modern battlefield, it was perfect for the American tanks, fighting a conventional war against a technologically backward foe on very favorable terrain. Modern conflicts are against non-state actors and large expensive tanks can be of little utility against them. Tanks have been of little use against the insurgencies in Iraq or Afghanistan that require more lightly armored, smaller, and more mobile formations. These conflicts call more for special forces than for large armored divisions. And, you can't fight cyber war with tanks. QED.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

iwantanata

@Pete: The Gulf War is not a modern battlefield, it was perfect for the American tanks, fighting a conventional war against a technologically backward foe on very favorable terrain. Modern conflicts are against non-state actors and large expensive tanks can be of little utility against them.

The messy situation with islamic militants is not the only definition of a "modern war". E.g. if and when CCP China attacks Taiwan, you are dealing with a modern state military and not with a bunch of mobile, lightly armed fanatics. Better prepare for that too.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Cyber war coming...

Japan far from good.

Low young population and decreasing very fast.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

YrralDec. 7  06:52 am JST

Nippon paper tigers defense forces

One could say the same for the People's Liberation Army. So far the PLA's offensive power is all theoretical, on paper only. The last real war China fought was against Vietnam in 1979 and the PLA was defeated by Vietnam much quicker than the US was.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Samit BasuDec. 7  07:07 am JST

I don't know where the author got the idea is that Japan's military's among the world's strongest.

It's the 5th strongest in the world, that's reality. Google is as free to you as it is to everyone else on the planet, use it sometime:

https://www.globalfirepower.com/country-military-strength-detail.php?country_id=japan

1 ( +3 / -2 )

@Kinjiro_Aki

It's the 5th strongest in the world,

You can absolutely ignore Global Firepower ranking, because that ranking is about overall national power and has absolutely nothing to do with a country's ability to wage and win wars.

I will give you the proof. On that list, Israel is ranked 20. Now which countries can defeat Israel in a war?

This is why Global Firepower is a joke.

Should Japan and Korea go to war, Japan has exactly 1 week to surrender by whoever is the surviving leader of Japanese government because the prime minister, defense minister, and defense ministry HQ building would have been bombed by the rain of 6,000 ballistic and cruise missiles that Korean military is sitting on.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

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