Russia protests over Japan's firing of HIMARS in exercise with U.S

Russia doth protest too much

Russian protest is an excellent sign that they are afraid of the HIMARS rocket system. Japan, let Russia protest till their lungs run out of air.

rocket systems were fired close to Russia's borders.

It's still inside Japan, unlike Russia that use their weapon outside their border to neighboring country!

Japan are fully within their rights to test their weapon systems in their own territory.

At least - unlike a certain other country - they aren't using their weapons against defenceless women and children.

Farcical hypocrisy.

The very fact that they feel the need to protest firing of one specific weapon system in an exercise within Japan speaks volumes. Now they are weak and their armed forces shown to be useless they are assuming Japan will behave like them and cease back the land they stole.

Fascist Russia is shameless. Having the audacity to criticize Japan for doing exercises in her own territory - while Fascist Russia is firing missiles into a sovereign nation and killing innocent civilians.

Hoping the brave Ukrainians have a good supply of HIMARS to keep blowing up the Fascist aggressors.

Keep it up Japan. Russia protesting means you’re doing something right.

According to a local report, the exercise held HIMARS without firing rockets as they failed to reach the place on time. So they only "exhibited" the systems on the field.

米海兵隊と陸自が共同訓練、ＨＩＭＡＲＳは実弾が届かず射撃の「ポーズ」だけ

https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/20221012-OYT1T50089/

Isn't Russia too sensitive? I'm sure that wasn't a special military operation :)

They all do military antics and then protest against each other.. This geopolitical world sometimes seems like a kindergarten..

Fascist Russia is shameless. Having the audacity to criticize Japan for doing exercises in her own territory - while Fascist Russia is firing missiles into a sovereign nation and killing innocent civilians.

Hoping the brave Ukrainians have a good supply of HIMARS to keep blowing up the Fascist aggressors.

LOOOOOOL !!..

So sorry to let you know Russia: No one is listening to you anymore.

"The Japanese side was also warned about the inevitability of adequate response measures in order to block military threats to Russia," 

At thus point this can be taken about as seriously as the Black Knight’s threats to King Arthur after he’s had his arms and legs chopped off.

Japan’s response should be: “What are you going to do, bleed on me?”

thank you Kishida to threat japan of nuclear war.

It's about time Japan has the B@LLS !

There’s still no formal peace treaty. So of course both sides can freely test or complain those tests as they like.

And the Chinese Russian military exercises.

Russian protest is an excellent sign that they are afraid of the HIMARS rocket system. Japan, let Russia protest till their lungs run out of air.

Wishful thinking. The exercises had to be scaled back because USA doesn't have enough HIMARS shells which cost US$150 000 a piece. That isn't the rocket system but for each shell!

This is so typical of the Japanese regime! Each of those shells costs US$150 000! How many ￥ is that at present? So it costs Japanese (and foreigners in Japan) tax payers huge money, annoys Japan's large and powerful neighbors and for what? To placate crazed but very fast fading war-mongers on the other side of the planet!

Maybe Japan is learning they will never sign a peace treaty with Russia and will never get those islands returned. At least not voluntarily.

Maybe Japan is learning they will never sign a peace treaty with Russia and will never get those islands returned. At least not voluntarily.

i.e. Japan might get them via military force?

This is so typical of the Japanese regime! Each of those shells costs US$150 000! 

and how much is it costing Russia for every missile they send to destroy another civilian target ? How many rubies have they expended so far ?

To placate crazed but very fast fading war-mongers on the other side of the planet!

yes, Putin is indeed a crazy war monger

a question for you - how much has this totally unnecessary war cost the Russian taxpayers so far ?

HIMARS shells which cost US$150 000 a piece.

that’s the total living expenses for 60,000 families in third world countries for a whole day.

Time for japan to have compulsory military service like SK and Taiwan. Except Japanese youth seem to be glasses wearing, skinny computer game obsessed nerds. Maybe a good war will toughen them up?

For what? I think you can look a bit closer to Japan for the real answer(s) to your $150000 question.

This is so typical of the Japanese regime! Each of those shells costs US$150 000! How many ￥ is that at present? So it costs Japanese (and foreigners in Japan) tax payers huge money, annoys Japan's large and powerful neighbors and for what? To placate crazed but very fast fading war-mongers on the other side of the planet!

and how much is it costing Russia for every missile they send to destroy another civilian target ? How many rubies have they expended so far ?

What the hell are you asking me for? I'm a citizen of Sweden paying taxes in Japan. Though according to Ursula Van Der Crazy, the Russians are making these missiles out of old washing machines so they probably aren't that effective.

But on a brighter note, according to the NY Times the missiles probably aren't very effective because they killed "only" 19 people............. The whole rotten US regime needs to be consigned to the dustbin of history ASAP!

a question for you - how much has this totally unnecessary war cost the Russian taxpayers so far ?

The vast majority see it as absolutely necessary but again, even though I morally support them, that's the extent of it so no use asking me this. As for the Japanese regime using my taxes to buy and use shells which cost US$150000 each merely to annoy a large and powerful neighbor merely in order to placate a crazed but very fast fading war-mongering regime on the other side of the word, I find it absolutely outrageous!

Russian is running out of ammo and missiles with its war against Ukraine. Forced to buy from North Korea.

that’s the total living expenses for 60,000 families in third world countries for a whole day.

it’s also the total living expenses for 60,000 families in Russia for a whole day.

Maybe a good war will toughen them up?

Yeh just look at the young Russian soldiers.

they’re suffering severe PTSD already & will be traumatised for life.

Thanks Putin, for destroying a generation of Russian youth

What the hell are you asking me for?

because you seem to be a supporter of Russian invasion

The whole rotten US regime needs to be consigned to the dustbin of history ASAP!

The whole rotten Russian regime needs to be consigned to the dustbin of history ASAP!

using my taxes to buy and use shells which cost US$150000 

you do realise that if people like you stopped encouraging & cheering people like Putin, there would be no need for governments to spend any tax money on missiles etc.

because you seem to be a supporter of Russian invasion

Moral support but the crux of the issue is me paying taxes in Japan and the Japanese regime paying US$150000 for each shell and firing them to annoy a large and powerful "neighbor" in order to placate a crazed, very fast fading regime on the other side of the world.

The whole rotten Russian regime needs to be consigned to the dustbin of history ASAP!

How original...... You are very intelligent.

you do realise that if people like you stopped encouraging & cheering people like Putin, there would be no need for governments to spend any tax money on missiles etc.

Nice idea. Capitalism and world peace is not possible. Quite the opposite. The longer it lasts, the worse the wars will get.

And, how many times has Russian military ships traversed into Japanese waters in the last 3 years?

I’m actually surprised NK hasn’t attacked the sea again over this.

Quite frankly though, after the invasion of Ukraine and after their own recent live firing exercises on the Kurils, Russia complaining about other countries having an ability to defend themselves while ignoring protests from Japan is completely two-faced. They can clam up.

here is something original - you should go live in Russia or China. You talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk

I've been to both China and Russia many times. Both really great places but like Japan, if I were to live there and not just visit, I'm sure I'd find things I didn't like. I wish I could go back in time and tell my high school self to learn Chinese rather than Japanese and make a life in China rather than Japan but I can't.

Japan is a nice place. Much better than Sweden. Hard to even compare Japan with China especially. Much more accurate to compare Japan with a single or a couple of Chinese provinces. Japan would be much better if it kicked out the occupiers and did things for the benefit of the population in Japan rather than crazed but very fast fading war mongers on the other side of the world.

The HIMARS were American property and fired by them in a display hoping to bring in foreign sales.

The HIMARS the US is giving to Ukraine are a degraded variant, so as to prevent Ukraine from conducting deep strikes into Russia.

The one that was trained with in Japan was an anti-surface vessel variant which still apparently had some bugs that need ironing out.

Russians have a talent to be comical humorists, but not. They have no sense of ridiculous as they still are cowardly attacking Ukraine and want to criticize Japan and others while they practice attrocities. Shame on you Russians, you have no authority at all to say anything about feeling threathened, as Russia under Putin is a worldwide real threat.

Japan lives in a tough neighborhood, and Russia’s brutal invasion of peaceful Ukraine is proof. Japan has to be ready for anything.

Really? Did they ?

Oh well, you should stop then, because they didn’t like it.

the crux of the issue is me paying taxes in Japan and the Japanese regime paying US$150000 for each shell and firing them to annoy a large and powerful "neighbor" in order to placate a crazed, very fast fading regime on the other side of the world.

A sad fake narrative for an uninformed poster using imagination over facts.

Japan is quite capable of annoying Russia without firing missiles. Testing military systems and training your forces is what every nation does. Japan training its forces inside Japan, is Japans business, not Russia's.

Russian complaints are toothless, pointless and a complete waste of effort.

Russia is not as powerful as it likes to think it is. It has a mass of nuclear weapons and not much else to threaten with. It's army is stuck in the 1940's in how it operates and tactics it uses. The Air force is easily neutralized with good anti air systems, just refer to Ukraine war.

It's navy is quite ineffective and its vessels easily sunk with limited ordinance because they have few safety features onboard.

Drills in Japan with US forces is for Japan's protection and defense, and certainly not to "placate a crazed regime". Why would a Swedish citizen be pro Russian? Your country is joining NATO making it a close ally of the US that you consider crazed. Perhaps moving to Russia and having your tax dollars pay for murder and genocide in Ukraine will put your mind at ease? You could renounce your Swedish citizenship and become a Russian, get drafted and go fight at Putin's pleasure.

Russia protests over Japan's firing of HIMARS in exercise with US:

What is the reason for Russia to protest to Japan over the US-Japan routine joint military drills?

What US does, Japan follows.

After all, US aims to show the might of its newest military weapons..

It's about time Japan has the B@LLS !

Ah yes, obeying US orders sure is a sign of courage....

The HIMARS were American property and fired by them in a display hoping to bring in foreign sales.

That is what I thought. I doubt Japanese taxpayers are paying for it. It would also be nice if the US can place some THAADS in Japan for free or lease them at low cost.

Russia said it had protested to the Japanese embassy on Wednesday over joint Japan-U.S. military exercises this week in which it said HIMARS rocket systems were fired close to Russia's borders.

Key words.

They find no other place?

Japan maybe wants to walk in UA shoes or what?

meaningless provocation especially when problem with stable oil and gas supplies must be solved!

why Japan acting again in name of US interests?

Can dish it out but can't take it. Typical weak bully.

@Axel,

I think your Swedish government and quite a few fellow compatriots of yours would disagree with you on just about everything you have said. Just see how safe your country is without the US.

And I don’t think you’re using the word “Regime” correctly. If you think Japan is a regime then go live somewhere else with more freedom like the US or, better yet, Russia. Russia certainly isn’t a ruthless bloodthirsty regime.

"How dare Japan prepare to defend itself!"

Sweden has not been at war for over 200 years, and we hold little regard for warmongers. As a fellow compatriot, I agree 100% with @Axel!

I wonder, did Russia also protest the recent North Korean missile launches too?

Weapon testing to always be done domestically, it is even better not to test weapons near Russia borders as Russia is sensitive to foreign interference in the Russian sovereignty. You don't want to wake the giant Russia to war you, as in times of war weapons to be ready to defend you. There is a cliche that a friend in need is a friend indeed, this said I don't think Japan has any friends to help it in times of war just like Ukraine. Japanese people to be registered in selective service and all to be ready to fight in case of war to protect Japan's sovereignty. Japan's first constitution amendment states that no one but the emperor of Japan to rule over Japanese people, what if foreigners invade and rule. Be ready more weapons to get tested and war ready, just in case another country attacks you like a dog with rabies and try to bite you, the enemy to be the underdog and to lose.

I think your Swedish government and quite a few fellow compatriots of yours would disagree with you on just about everything you have said. Just see how safe your country is without the US.

Very much so, I'm a Swede and I have never met a pro Russian Swede, even before all this went down. ignoring that it's a dictatorship and the total opposite to Sweden in every way, it's also our only threat, so not sure how a Swede becomes pro Russia, but I guess that's why he lives here in Japan.

Russia should give back the Southern Kuriles that they stole from Japan before complaning about anything. As well as occupied Ukraine including Crimea. And territories they annexed from Moldova and Georgia as well. while we're at it Finland would like the Karelian isthmus and the Salla area, including Alakurtti, and the far northern Petsamo area back as well.

And all these are tiny compared to the claim that China could bring for all the Russian Fareast territory that they took from the Qing Dynasty in the 1800s through unfair treaties.

Russia should be stripped of everything they have taken through annexation.

I wonder, did Russia also protest the recent North Korean missile launches too?

Fair point, well made.

America should license HIMARS assembly to European nations since it seems to be Ivan's Kryptonite.

Poland just ordered for 200 HIMARS launchers and 300 K239 Chunmoo launchers(aka double HIMARS).

Poland initially inquired about 500 HIMARS launchers, but 200 was all that the US could deliver to Poland over the next several years, so Poland proceeded to order 300 K239 Chunmoo from Korea instead.

This pushes any potential Japanese HIMARS order by a decade, and ordering K239 Chunmoo from Korea isn't an option for Japan for the obvious reason.

Sorry, I forgot to add the link to the Polish announcement. https://www.gazetaprawna.pl/wiadomosci/kraj/artykuly/8567498,uzbrojenie-bezpieczenstwo-panstwa-himarsy-sprzet-z-korei.html

Wishful thinking. The exercises had to be scaled back because USA doesn't have enough HIMARS shells which cost US$150 000 a piece. That isn't the rocket system but for each shell!

Sigh. Complete disinformation. Hundreds of thousands of the first generation unguided MLRS rockets were produced and are in the inventories of many armies. As of December 2021 over 50,000 units of the more advanced Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) have been produced and the production rate exceeds 9,000 per year. In any event exercises use what is called the Low-Cost Reduced-Range Practice Rocket.

The most recent Selected Acquisition Report shows the unit cost of a GMLRS round is $104,000.

Weapon testing to always be done domestically, it is even better not to test weapons near Russia borders as Russia is sensitive to foreign interference in the Russian sovereignty. 

This wasn't a weapons test. It was a joint exercise using an existing system. Japan has 99 M270 MLRS units and an undisclosed number of MLRS rockets. M270 is a large heave tracked vehicle that can fire 12 MLRS or two ATACMS missiles. The vehicle mounts two box shaped launch modules side by side. Each module can fire 6 MLRS rockets or one ATACMS rocket. HIMARS is half an M270, one launch module on an armored truck chassis instead of a tracked vehicle. It is lighter and can be sling loaded by many helicopters where M270 is too heavy for any helicopter to lift. They both fire the same rockets. The exercise is meant to build proficiency and demonstrate a capability to the Russians lest they get any ideas of venturing south into Hokkaido.

The HIMARS the US is giving to Ukraine are a degraded variant, so as to prevent Ukraine from conducting deep strikes into Russia.

That is not true. HIMARS can fire two very different rockets. The single launch module on a HIMARS vehicle can launch 6 GMLRS, the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System rounds. There are several different variants of the GMLRS rocket with different warheads for different missions. Alternatively the same launch module on a HIMARS can fire one ATACMS missile.

GMLRS is the most advanced version of MLRS, with a greater range out to about 80 km and a combination of inertial and GPS guidance. This is what the Ukrainians are being given.

ATACMS is a much larger and heavier rocket with a range of 70-300 km and a much heavier warhead. Because these could easily hit targets inside Russia the US has not shipped ATACMS rounds to Ukraine.

Do you understand the difference. I wish people would quit spreading nonsense and do some reading before writing stuff they know nothing about or just repeating internet rumors.

It's a pretense by Russia, to suggest that they are fearful of HIMARS.

Be wary

@JRO (Jonas), @Axel never said he was pro-Russia, he said he was against war mongering.

@Fredrik

Well he kept talking about how he likes Russia, China, but took every chance he got to put the US or Sweden down, so sounds like he has his mind set. Pro-Russia might have been a strong word but yeah never heard anyone growing up and living in democratic countries talking so highly about dictatorships, just found it fascinating.

@JRO, reading his more recent posts, I see your point. Interesting counter-arguments, but way too aggressive.