politics

Japan, Italy to step up defense ties

13 Comments
By MARI YAMAGUCHI

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13 Comments
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Italy has a couple kind-of-cool things on the R&D side. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The Italians have one of the larger VSTOL aircraft carriers in operation today, the 30,000 ton Cavour, and are conducting sea trials of their new 37,000 ton LHD the Trieste, which will replace the 1980s vintage VSTOL carrier, the 19,000 ton Giuseppe Garibaldi. 37,000 tons is almost as large as a US Navy LHD but the Italian ship has a ski jump for F-35Bs not fitted to US Navy LHDs (the Marines give up some take off performance of their F-35Bs to maximize the number of helicopter spots, a critical metric to allow the ARG to unload in 6 hours, the ski jump would eat up four spots and slow the assault down). More importantly the Italians have decades of experience operating AV-8B Harriers and now F-35s from the kinds of VSTOL carriers Japan will likely build as soon as they are finished modifying Izumo and Kaga for F-35Bs. Tapping into the knowledge of how to operate such a ship efficiently, lessons learned from decades of operating such ships, is invaluable knowledge.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I won’t reiterate all the jokes from my childhood about the Italian military, but in the modern world Italy is recognised as a good partner in these sorts of international arms cooperations and their engineering skills are well known. Just don’t get involved with the Germans or the French if you ever want to finish the programme.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Abe, sorry Kishida, should look on a map and notice Japan is not in Europe.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Having Italy as a military ally is definitely a strong plus. See their great record in WW1 and WW2.......

Well, they did actually end both of those wars on the winning side.

They didn't begin the wars that way of course......

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Having Italy as a military ally is definitely a strong plus. See their great record in WW1 and WW2.......

And they remain a formidable military power.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Could they not print the banner in Italian instead of English?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

This will definitely make Putin think twice. Time to take back Hoppo Ryodo

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Nice photo. Italy's defence minister looks like he has a lot more important things to do right now than waste time with Kishi.

Spoiler: he has.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

Actually Japan has a good relationship with Italy and there are some similarities between the two nations.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

If Japan is -" SO" in control of the senkaku Islands then why does Japan allow the armed Chinese coastguard to continue entering Japanese waters ?

The senkaku Islands are within the city limits of the main island of Yaeyama called Ishigaki.

The armed Chinese coastguard have been entering a Japanese city limits every few days for years.

This is not under control by Japan.

This is wimpy and pathetic.

Stop armed China from entering Japan city limits !

-11 ( +0 / -11 )

Do they know how silly they sound

Why do you say that? The JMSDF like many navies has been using Italian designed cannons for many years. Italy makes a range of military hardware from firearms, artillery and naval guns to rotorcraft and missiles.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

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