Gary Beckwith comments

Japan has 8 operational Ospreys of its own.

Cost to modify infrastructure nationwide is prohibitive. Unless there's proven benefits it's not going to change.

Everybody knows that the summer olympics are held during typhoon season, NOT tsunami season. Sheesh!

sensei258: They did not know it was a one way trip. A post-war interview with the designer of the sub recalled, tearfully, that had he known there would be issues found on each of the subs before launch he never would have let them go. They were designed to strike and return, not like the suicide missions at the end of the war. The sole survivor of the the sub now residing at the Museum of the Pacific War in Texas was saddened at the loss of his young shipmates. You can read about it all here: http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/12/06/livestream-reveal-japanese-mini-sub-sunk-pearl-harbor.html

"Tag...your it!"

Tiring: IR tracking is passive and the target would have no way to know it's being tracked. RF is what sets of the alarms in the target cockpit.

There is a major difference between "lighting up" and "locking on". Turning on the fire control radar and pointing it in the direction of the "target" is lighting up the target. Using the reflected return energy to resolve the fire control missle/gun/laser intercept parameters and allowing the radar to maintain that information to keep the radar on the target is locking on. This technique has been going on for more years than many of you have been alive and is used to let the other side know that my side is here, we see you and we can make your day very bad if we want to. The trick is to never lock on because THAT would be an act of aggression.

JDS Izumo is classified as a helicopter destroyer. The classification is based on the ship's mission, not what it looks like. Look it up. This publication reported as such in its coverage of the ship's commissioning.

B. It's my considered opinion that very few of the commentators here have any experience serving their respective countries militarily. I have been doing so for almost 40 years.

iii. I am very proud to say that I was a participant in this year's Fleet Review as a guest of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. They deserve a lot more respect than any of you are showing. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Whiners.

That would be "air self-defense force".

JMSDF has had helicopter destroyers for years. This just happens to be the biggest one so far. Her helicopters are used in support of anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and search and rescue (SAR) operations. The ship is equipped with 2 Phalanx CIWS and 2 SeaRAM for her defense.

Bull! It was the sucky weather. As a long-time Kanagawa beach-house goer/worker (over 25 years) I can tell you that the rules cited have been in place for several years at ALL Kanagawa beaches. Zushi just chose to more rigorously enforce them. The only rule that's been added in recent years is smoking in the open. The little-known place where I live in Wada Nagahama, Yokosuka/Miura, also experienced low turn-out as did Miura Kaigan.

Didn't know we had an organic food store in Yokosuka and I've been here since 1976. b. Drinking after a long shift is not unusual...unless you don't drink.