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© KYODOGround Self-Defense Force to get transport vessels for islands
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snowymountainhell
It’s lauded everyday that this is a ‘special’, ‘island’ country with ‘the 3rd largest economy’ in the world’ but,
“It will be the first provision of such vessels to the GSDF”? (What have you been doing with taxpayers money?) By 2024, the party there will be over.
HimariYamada
A good start, but Japan needs more and more and even more guns, planes and ships.
kurisupisu
Build a lighthouse Japan-problem solved!
Sven Asai
Deploy an autonomous multi-missile launcher on the Senkakus , sending four radio warnings every three minutes on different frequencies when ships intrude the area and then auto-firing after another minute (makes 10 minutes until fire or intruder leaves the area) any ID unrecognized ships with infrared heat detectors. In addition, a similar system for taking out airplanes that fly over and possibly want to take that equipment out by attacking from above. No permanent staff, no military risk, only sometimes a refilling of the missiles and power supply, cheap, effective, clear rules, that even Chinese military can understand. Of course they are welcome in a severe situation if they radio SOS to the radar in Ishigaki, the system is then temporarily remotely inactivated, so they can be helped and saved or accompanied to a nearby harbor.
Desert Tortoise
Your idea is illegal under the laws governing warfare. Any kill chain must include a human in the loop, usually an officer, who must positively identify the target as a hostile target that may legally be destroyed under the rules of engagement for that situation. In the case of US drone strikes a legal team of civilian and military lawyers has to sign off on the kill before weapons may be released. Auto-firing systems like you describe are not legal.
Desert Tortoise
“It will be the first provision of such vessels to the GSDF”? (What have you been doing with taxpayers money?)
It is a new requirement that has emerged with the recent challenge to Japan's control of those islands. Because of Japan's pacifist constitution and out of consideration of the sensibilities of Japans neighbors Japan has not until quite recently pursued an amphibious assault capability. The few landing ships the JMSDF now has are too large for the small harbors on Japan's many small islands and the JGSDF has not previously operated ships of any these are not needed for defending the home islands of Japan. Incidentally the US Marines are in the same boat, if you will, needing much smaller landing ships than the US Navy currently uses in order to defend these many small islands using a new strategy they are developing for the Pacific, including experimenting with what they are calling a "Pacific Regiment". Eventually they plan to have three but the first one to be formed in Hawaii this year will be an experiment in force structure to see what is needed and what isn't before the Marines settle on a final configuration for these regiments. The Navy is looking to build perhaps two dozen new, smaller landing ships and have these in service in the next three years (ambitious but the urgency is driven by the Chinese) and are looking at a new LSV entering service with the US Army (the US Army has a fleet of watercraft separate from the Navy) as something they could build and field quickly.
ReasonandWisdomNippon
Snowymoutainhell
The answer to your question is called Article 9. That's what Japan has been doing. America's idea.
Hiro S Nobumasa
Building transport vessels is the only option for Tokyo coz they know those isles are not an inherent part of Japan.
rdemers
Several swarms of PT Boats works for me...
GdTokyo
I agree, build a navigation beakon and establish facts on the ground. These islands belong to Japan and they will be defended.
Asakaze
@Sven Asai
Not very bright idea. A ship with an inoperable radio equipment also can enter the area by chance.
@Hiro S Nobumasa
No, building TRANSPORT vessels is the only option for Tokyo coz it wants to TRANSPORT cargo.
I just don't understand this bureucratic stuff, why to put maritime operations, even transport, under GSDF, not MSDF?
Bjorn Tomention
What you mean to tell us all now that the JSDF or what ever doesnt already have them or enough or they are short of funds or under spec'd or its not in the rule book or ?
Its laughable to think Japan a nation of islands doesnt have the way or the means to support its troops who may be deployed at any time in the near future to these islands to protect them from the vile enemy laying off the coast.
Peeping_Tom
"Build a lighthouse Japan-problem solved!"
There are already two standing there.
(Just in case I know the meaning of your quotation mark.)
Desert Tortoise
The JGSDF isn't only interested in defending the Senkakus. There are dozens of small islands between Tokyo Bay and Okinawa and beyone with small harbors the JGSDF currently have no access to. Aogashima comes immediately to mind. Kuchinoerabu is another. These and many others are indisputably sovereign Japanese soil.
Desert Tortoise
Same reason the US Army has its own watercraft. They operate differently than the Navy/Marine Corps, have different equipment and different needs. In Japan's case none of the JMSDFs landing ships meet their needs. The smaller landing craft can certainly navigate the small harbors the JGSDF is concerned with, but they are not long legged enough to operate from the Japanese home islands. They have to be deployed off bigger landing ships of which Japan has very few. So just like the US Army, the JGSDF is looking for some smaller vessels to allow them enough range to sail from mainland Japan with personnel and cargo, while still being small enough for tiny harbors like that on Aogashima. Sure the JMSDF could build and operate them, but the JMSDF has its own requirements and will likely spec them for their needs more than those of the ground forces.
Desert Tortoise
You might consider it laughable, but in post WWII Asia, fear of a rising Japan re-invading the many nations Japan subjugated during WWII is real. Japan deliberately foreswore possessing an amphibious capability to remove one reason for her neighbors to fear her. Remember Japan's constitution does not allow offensive weapons. There was, until the last couple of years, no perceived need to have an ability to garrison troops around among the many small islands Japan possesses and supply these garrisons. The JMSDF has only a small handful of amphibious assault ships with landing craft small enough to navigate the small harbors in question. However these landing craft are short ranged and must be carried to where they are to be used by one of the very few ships Japan has that can carry them. If the JGSDF starts garrisoning the many little islands in possesses then they need small cargo ships to supply these places.
Desert Tortoise
The JGSDF is probably looking at ships like this, the USAV General Frank S. Bessons. The US Navy has nothing like this any more so the US Army procures these and US Army soldiers operate them. These are small and fit many smaller harbors big US Navy landing ships cannot access directly.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Frank_S._Besson-class_logistics_support_vessel#/media/File:LSV-1_General_Frank_S._Besson_Jr.jpg
Desert Tortoise
Here are three different types of watercraft operated by the US Army. One of them is much smaller. The JGSDF has many different concepts in use today from which to choose.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Frank_S._Besson-class_logistics_support_vessel#/media/File:Army's_Persian_Gulf_Watercraft_fleet.jpg
Desert Tortoise
The Philippine Navy operates a sub-class of the Frank S. Besson Class with a partially covered vehicle deck and a helicopter pad. More possibilities....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacolod_City-class_logistics_support_vessel#/media/File:US_Navy_090421-N-0120A-035_The_Armed_Forces_of_the_Philippines_Navy_logistics_support_vessel_BRP_DagupanCity(LC_551)_maneuvers_into_position_in_a_formation_exercise.jpg
Hiro S Nobumasa
Establishing a military outpost in those isles is more effective than building mere transport vessels.
That is if Japan truly believes that those rocks are an inherent part of Japan.
When both Chinese and Japanese ships are sailing around the islands with neither landing or even anchoring nearby then it just proves to the world that those disputed real properties really belongs to Ilan county, Taiwan.
Desert Tortoise
The plan as I understand it is to garrison many of the small islands that extend south from the main islands of Japan, not just the Senkakus. Little islands like Aogashima might have a small garrison with air defense missiles and anti-ship missiles. But to maintain those garrisons the JGSDF needs small ships to keep the garrisons supplied and to move troops around.