Japan declares plan to have preemptive strike capability and cruise missiles

SK say not so quickly, Japanese do not have the GPS Coordinates of Russia,NK , China,they all have nukes

Prepare For War. And There Will Be War.

Experts, including former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, said the definition of the enemy's intention to attack is unclear and preemptive strikes could be considered as first strikes.

> Ishiba is incorrect.

China has threatened Japan with nuclear weapons with regard to a first use policy.

If Japan defends its ships or Taiwan or retaliates by bombing China in a retaliatory action then the threat of nuclear retaliation is high from China.

There is no defense against that therefore Japan and the US have only option and that is a first strike on China.

Japanese enemies will probably launch a decapitation strike on Ginza District and Shinjuku District, separating the military leadership from the political leadership

Good news.

Japan should have the right - and the military hardware - to strike at her enemies cities pre-emptively and effectively - be they in China, NK or Russia. It is plainly ridiculous in this, the most dangerous time to be in the East Asia region for decades, for Japan to have her hands tied in this regard.

Prepare For War. And There Will Be War.

Tell that to the actual aggressors: Russia, China and NK.

What are you even talking about? China is the only large nuclear power to expressly says no first use.

"China and India are currently the only two nuclear powers to formally maintain a No First Use policy, adopting pledges in 1964 and 1998 respectively." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_first_use

China has threatened Japan with nuclear weapons with regard to a first use policy.

110 kms is a pretty far distance if we are being honest.

They are assuming USA will export the Tomahawk to Japan, which I doubt very much...no matter what they've been told, only 1 other country has it, the UK. Even its most trusted ally Australia doesn't have it, AND if Australia do get it, it will be incorporated into AUKUS...has Japan been invited into AUKUS? No, or at least not yet.

Even for Australia, there are calls for Australia to develop its own, and I suspect it's because even with AUKUS, there will still be opposition from within USA. It's a missike with Network capability, whuch means hooking into USA's targeting infrastructure. IMHO, Japan should develop its own ASAP, like someone ekse posted 2026 could be too late.

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/australia-should-make-its-own-long-range-missiles/

The day Japan kicks the US forces out of Japan, is the day I leave Japan.

Tit for tat. Will such an arms race solve anything? It only takes two to tango -- mutual destruction and demolition.

This ^^ is a nice soundbite, but has proven to be a false narrative every time. On the other hand "deterrence" has proven time and time over to be the most effective strategy to avoid conflict/war/cough cough...special operation.

Yep your right Japan has no defense against atomic annihilation from Russia ,China and North Korea.

Japan couldn't possibly close the gap if they wanted to

Especially seeming that Japan's adversaries are all allies.

Are you forgetting that Japan also has nuclear-armed allies?

How can you attempted a preemptive strike when you just announced you intentions. Japan is now updating its weapons to that of other pacifists allies, EG Australia whom they now have greater friendship with Japan than ever before. So I don’t see how you can pass this off as a preemptive measures.

Good news and a long time coming. We have been pressing Japan to re-arm since 1950 when we forced them to create theJSDF. The world has changed and Japan's regional environment has become unstable due to the actions and threats of autocratic nations. As Ukraine has proven, the extent to which allied nations will come to the aid and support of an invaded nations depends on their willingness to defend themselves.

The autocratic nations started this global arms race. Once started, the only way to deter war is to keep pace.

Wolfshire the US military do not say whether their is a first strike ,but our Congress

Ossan, Japan already got two strikes against them,you must want another

Well done. I look forward to seeing Japanese missiles fly over North korea and land in China's EEZ.

lol

USA $800 billion

China $290 billion

India $76 billion

UK $68 billion

Russia $66 billion (source: Wikipedia)

The autocratic nations started this global arms race. 

I would not worry,a cruise missile take an hour to get too China,NK and Russia,by this time Tokyo would be in ruins Google 38 North Tokyo Nuclear Strike

"“It should be emphasized that China firmly pursues a nuclear strategy of self-defense, adheres to the nuclear policy of no first use of nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, and keeps the nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required for national security,” ministry spokesperson Tan Kefei said in a statement."

https://thehill.com/policy/international/3763606-china-reiterates-no-1st-use-policy-in-wake-of-us-report/ Publication date December 6, 2022

Good thing the constitution allows for buildup of offensive military capabilities

Japan has finally re-armed.

Japan will be thoroughly destroyed in the coming conflict. Worse than Ukraine.

Nothing wrong with being fully or 120% prepared as we have seen what could happen if you even blink, the Ukraine war has changed everything, all bets are off now, Japan must do what ever it takes to deter and secure it's skies and borders.

They are assuming USA will export the Tomahawk to Japan, which I doubt very much...no matter what they've been told, only 1 other country has it, the UK. Even its most trusted ally Australia doesn't have it, AND if Australia do get it, it will be incorporated into AUKUS...has Japan been invited into AUKUS? No, or at least not yet

Australia, Canada, Netherlands and Japan at the very least will all buy one or more of the several new variants of Tomahawk. The calculus on the US side has changed and the INF treaty has been abandoned so land based Tomahawks are already on contract with the US Army expecting to field their first units in 2023. Storm Shadow / Scalp have comparable guidance technology to Tomahawk, though not the same range, and the US now needs to have allies armed with Tomahawk in the event of a confrontation with China or Russia.

"“It should be emphasized that China firmly pursues a nuclear strategy of self-defense, adheres to the nuclear policy of no first use of nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, and keeps the nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required for national security,” ministry spokesperson Tan Kefei said in a statement."

I guess the minimum capability line explains the hundreds of new ICBM silos being constructed at sites in the western deserts of China.

https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2021-09/news/new-chinese-missile-silo-fields-discovered

https://gellerreport.com/2021/08/exclusive-china-building-third-missile-field-for-hundreds-of-new-icbms.html/

DT,it take an hour for these missile,to arrive too their destination,beside the US is only one that can program them

It would be alot cheaper just to become the 51st state. Cheaper and your representation in Congress for all the tax dollars spent.

Japan should not bring a knife too a,nuclear gunfight

Someone please inform them that preemptive strike capability and counterstrike and strike-back aren't the same thing !

The Japanese government aims for preemptive capability. But local media and public discourses are still confusing and misleading.... It must be clarified anyway.

No doubt they all value and seek deterrence. The question is how it's achieved.

Japan has explicitly threatened Japan with annihilation if there is interference over Taiwan .

Taro Aso has explicitly stated that Japan will defend Taiwan and has a duty to ,in the event of Chinese military activity.

There are the problems and they will be solved by Chinese nuclear weapons.

preemptive strike ability is clearly against the constitution that has kept the peace in Japan, much to the war hawks disdain.

That only justify Japanese enemies,too strike first in Tokyo

@Desert Tortoise Just curious, can you describe a scenario in which Japan launches missiles at China?

Has Kishida completely lost his mind? He is in effect declaring he can start a war if he feels like it. If he feels like it we are toast in Japan.

Yes, a preemptive strike would be against Article 9 of the Constitution. Before Kishida goes any further he should be removed from office.

About time too, it is incumbent upon any country to acquire the capability to defend itself, and Japan has for too long followed the passive strategy imposed by the Americans after the war, and relied on them since to provide defence capability. With regional threats from China and North Korea, now would be a good time for Japan to "grow up" militarily speaking. By doing so it would be adding to the security in the region, not supplanting America's presence, since you can be sure that with its paranoia about any form of socialism, it's not going to evacuate itself f rom the region!

talk as per request from white house.

all of us will ay dearly for nice business for a few and misery for a millions affected.

what of is this tension escallation for?

dont ask Fumio anything he have no clue whatsoever.

Japan declares plan to have preemptive strike capability & cruise missiles.

A follow-up headline: China sends ships into Pacific near southern Japan.

Do the news not mean both nations are preparing to get ready for some kind of military conflict?

No, no, no.

Must avoid that..

Music to my ears!

Time to check the use by dates in my nuclear bomb shelter. I heard US war with Russia is scheduled for 2025. About the same time we give USA 2% of our GDP (or more), to buy US weapons.

A welcomed development.

Does Japan need a new devastating war now?

Seems like a bad idea to me.

Maybe if I sleep on it, then it will make more sense, but I doubt it. Now, if Taiwan, SK all agree to integrate their defensive AND offensive capabilities, then I could see where this may be an idea for consideration.

It is one thing to have the capability and another to announce a first-strike policy.

All war is wrong.

Only if you are willing to accept being servants to tyrants. Starting a war is wrong. On that I can agree.

Does Japan need a new devastating war now?

The best way to prevent war is to prepare for it. Being seen as having sufficient military power to defeat a likely attack and the credible threat to use that force is the best way to deter war. It is also a heck of a lot cheaper than being viewed as easy picking and being invaded.

@Desert Tortoise Just curious, can you describe a scenario in which Japan launches missiles at China?

A Chinese attack on the Senkaku Islands. A Chinese attack on Taiwan. Both come immediately to mind.

DT,it take an hour for these missile,to arrive too their destination,beside the US is only one that can program them

Do you think there would be any scenario in which Japan fired Tomahawks at another nation where US forces were not fighting side by side with the Japanese?

Tomahawks might be slower than ballistic missiles but because they fly so low, a virtue of their subsonic speed btw the screamers can't fly that low, and because TERCOM and DSMAC frees them from reliance on GPS or data links to find their targets (they are GPS enabled but not GPS reliant if understand what that means) they can be much harder to detect and shoot down than ballistic missiles and also basically immune to any kind of jamming.

Very good. Let's go with the Chinese invasion of Taiwan scenario. In this scenario Japan launches missile strikes on Chinese naval facilities in Fujian and Zhejiang facing the Taiwan Strait. What does China do in return?

A Chinese attack on the Senkaku Islands. A Chinese attack on Taiwan. Both come immediately to mind.

Ugh...the current japanese regime is full of warhawks following in the steps of their american masters. Makes me sick. We slave every day so they can rob us and give our money to the wealthy masters in the guise of "defense" contracts.

Oooh lookout, china china china.... Nevermind that the american empire has 1000 bases around the globe, 23 or so just here in japan, also funded by the money this regime steals from our slaraies. Nevermind that the american empire has toppled dozens of nations via invasion, blockade, assassination and coups in the last few decades. China's the threat, right? Cauz, y'know, they want to do stuff in their own back yard. Or, forge friendly ties with nations that the us empire seeks to control...

The calculus on the US side has changed

...you keep saying this, but without even a single example of it in practice. On the other hand, I've provided examples after examples of USA banning export of 'prime' military tech.

Taiwan has lust after Tomahawks for how long now? Still mot approved for export to Taiwan, they waited, waited and eventually had to develop their own HF-2E. Does Japan have time to wait?

I will eat my words when the first Tomahawk is on Japanese soil, until then, IMHO, it's wishful thinking. Don't forget Ukraine either, ie if it's all about calculus, Ukraine would have Patriots missile defense in Feb 22.

Kishida said the new target sets the NATO standard for defense spending, a budget increase that has been his policy priority since taking office in October 2021.

That is all we need to know. Kishida is put in office to comply with the US demand on Japan to comply with the NATO standard. Of course, Japan is not a NATO member, and Japan's defense budget already exceeds that of Russia. But US wants more money. Furthermore, he admits that Japan will not be capable of defending itself for the next half decade. So, in the case of war, Japan is out, and in either case, Japan is trashing its economy.

"Possession of the strike-back capability is 'indispensable' as deterrence to discourage enemy attacks, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a news conference Friday, calling it 'a major change to Japan's postwar security policy.'"

PM Kushida recognizes that the ability to strike back, while seen by some as a first-strike capability, is a valuable and necessary military ability. Potential military aggressors may think longer before attacking Japan if they believe that there will be a significant military response.

Putin's war against Ukraine has demonstrated that Ukraine's trust in the protective agreements signed with Russia, the USA, and Britain back in the nineties, would be better backed up with the ability to strike back at Russia.

Preemptive strikes work sometimes and sometimes they do not.

Japan-Russia War. Japan's preemptive strike beat Russia. I'll omit the reasons here.

Japan's preemptive attack on Pearl Harbor. Japan won the day but lost the war with horrific results.

When Kishida says "preemptive strike capability" what is actually going on in his little brain? Let change the wording to "surprise attack possibility." Change the language to everyday usable--"surprise attack" -- and you should get a cold chill down your back.

"Preemptive strike capability" is a military euphemism for "surprise attack." Get them before they get you.

Who does Kishida want to surprise. North Korea? China?

You will need a bad sleepless night to process this.

The Sino-Japanese relations were very good until state guest Jian Zemin rebuked Japan, demanding openly at an Imperial Palace banquet that Japan apologize China for her pre-war day misdemeanors in China. Sigh.

This is the only way to keep Japan reasonably safe in the face of mounting aggressiveness of China and the other rogue nations. Long overdue.

This article use the word preemptive strike capability but many Japanese mainstream media already call it "counterattack capability" despite coined word of LDP government, misread the masses.

Japanese mainstream media are about to be in one body with government as same as prewar.

And Japan started barren arms race with victimizing life or future of people against China where have nearly five times GDP of Japan.

.you keep saying this, but without even a single example of it in practice. On the other hand, I've provided examples after examples of USA banning export of 'prime' military tech.

TACTOM, i.e RGM/UGM-109E, has been around over 15 years. It is not new tech any more. SCALP / Storm Shadow have analogous tech, TERCOM and DSMAC guidance, the ability to be air launched but the submarine launched variants have a range comparable to that of TACTOM. It is no longer the US most advanced tech. It is an older tech but it is still very effective because there is no way to jam or spoof TERCOM and DSMAC. The US is selling AGM-158B JASSM-ERs and AGM-158C LRASM to foreign customers. Those are high tech, especially LRASM. They have target recognition and aimpoint selectivity software called Automatic Targeting Correlation (ATC) by Lockheed Martin. Australia is buying LRASMs through a USAF contract vehicle.

https://eurasiantimes.com/lockheed-martin-bags-largest-ever-contract-for-lrasm-missiles-from-us-military/

https://adbr.com.au/australia-approved-to-buy-jassm-er/

Australia, Poland and Finland already operate the shorter range, but identical tech, AGM-158A JASSM.

Going forward to the logical conclusion, the only option is for Japan to have nuclear weapons.

In the absence of a Sci-Fi like defense Shield, one has to think old-school and wonder whether the old-fashioned barrage balloons have any place in today's modern day warfare of drone attacks. Hydrogen filled, each acts as a mini air-mine which when exploded could hinder a drone or even a missile.

Ukraine could certainly do with looking into this.

"...preemptive strike capability..." = PEARL HARBOR! Apparently attacking PH, notwithstanding its subsequent horrors, wasn't such a bad idea after all...

In cases akin to this were the penalty is not justify for the crime against those effected is non existence. The Justice system main protocol is to alleviate the victim from burden of revenge. Not to to forgive and hope for rehabilitation. I say in this case those effected by this man crime should be allow to participate in the punishment. Like a good old stoning at 25 paces or meters but with baseballs not stones and five balls a piece. I sure the perpetrator will repent from his disrupting the public discourse.

China and North Korea will retaliate with more firepower than Japan can imagine!

Sure! Let's waste more money just to throw more gasoline on the fire...

Can humans be called intelligent beings? Russian aggression against Ukraine has clearly demonstrated that there are more than two losers, the attacker, and the defendant, plus all other countries in the planet, suffering effects of the war, as inflation, hunger, poverty, tension, stress, mental problems. It is absurd the generosity to spend money on military equipment, weapons, everything related to cause more deaths, destruction, suffering.

It seems to be obvious and silly, but if all parts make heavy investments on weapons the result will be war, so, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Asian countries, Africa, Latin America should gather their best brains to conceive acts towards building a peaceful world. The UN Security Council is a nest of poisonous snakes that promote conflicts that only benefit of war lords, weapons makers.