Japan Ministry of Defense

Japan Awards $2.8B in Contracts for New Standoff Weapons

Type 12 Anti-ship missile

Japan’s Ministry of Defense signed four contracts worth a total of $2.83 billion last week with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) for its standoff defense capability project, according to a Tuesday statement.

The standoff defense capability project is expected to provide the Japan Self Defense Forces (SDF) with long-range strike capabilities against ships and amphibious forces invading Japan, particularly at its remote islands, such as the disputed Senkaku islands...

https://news.usni.org/2023/04/12/japan-awards-2-8b-in-contracts-for-new-standoff-weapons

Japan’s 2022 National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy

The following is the provisional English translation of the December 2022 National Security Strategy of Japan and the Japanese National Defense Strategy.

From the report

The international community is facing changes defining an era. We are reminded once again that globalization and interdependence alone cannot serve as a guarantor for peace and development across the globe. The free, open, and stable international order, which expanded worldwide in the post-Cold War era, is now at stake with...

https://news.usni.org/2022/12/20/japans-2022-national-security-strategy-national-defense-strategy

Japanese, Korean Fighters Scrambled in Response to Joint Russia-China Bomber Patrol

A Russian Tupolev Tu-95 Bear off Japan in May. Japanese MoD Photo

Four Russian Tu-95MS bombers and two Chinese H-6 bombers conducted a joint patrol over the Sea of Japan Wednesday, prompting fighter scrambles by Korea and Japan in response.

The joint patrol was the most recent one since May this year, which occurred the same day U.S. President Joe Biden met his Australian, Indian and Japanese counterparts in Tokyo, though both the Russian and Chinese defense ministries stated the flights in May...

https://news.usni.org/2022/11/30/japanese-korean-fighters-scrambled-in-response-to-joint-russia-china-bomber-patrol

Japan Considering Buying Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles as ‘Counterstrike’ Capability, Say Reports

USS Monterey (CG 61) fires a Tomahawk land attack missile April 13, 2018 against land targets in Syria. US Navy Photo

The Japanese government is considering buying Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles from the United States to establish a “counterstrike” capability to deter enemy missile attacks, according to domestic press reports.
The Japanese Self-Defense Forces could deploy Tomahawks faster than its own domestically produced long-range cruise missiles, according to public broadcaster NHK.

The...

https://news.usni.org/2022/11/28/japan-considering-buying-tomahawk-land-attack-missiles-as-counterstrike-capability-say-reports

Two Japanese Destroyers Score in Ballistic Missile Defense Test off Hawaii

JS Maya (DDG-179) fires an SM-3 BlockIIA on Nov. 16, 2022. JMSDF Photo

Two Japanese Maya-class destroyers successfully test-fired SM-3 interceptors against ballistic missile targets off Hawaii last week, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) announced on Monday.

The tests at the Pacific Missile Range on Kauai Island, Hawaii, validated the ballistic missile defense capabilities of Japan’s newest destroyers JS Maya (DDG-179) and JS Haguro (DDG-180) in cooperation with the U.S. Navy and U.S....

https://news.usni.org/2022/11/21/two-japanese-destroyers-score-in-ballistic-missile-defense-test-off-hawaii

14 Russian Warships Enter Sea of Japan Ahead of Major Military Exercises

Japanese MoD Images

A group of 14 Russian Navy ships transited through La Pérouse Strait from the Western Pacific Ocean into the Sea of Japan ahead of Russian military drills scheduled to start next week, the Japan Ministry of Defense said on Monday.

On Saturday, four Russian ships were sighted sailing westwards in an area 161 miles east-northeast of La Pérouse Strait. The release form the MoD identified the ship as destroyer RFS Marshal Shaposhnikov (543) and corvettes RFS Gremyashchiy (337),...

https://news.usni.org/2022/08/23/14-russian-warships-enter-sea-of-japan-ahead-of-major-military-exercises

Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group Now in South China Sea

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) steams through the Balabec Strait and into the South China Sea on July 12, 2022. US Navy Photo

The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is now operating in the South China Sea, according to a 7th Fleet release on Wednesday.

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-77) began operating in the South China Sea around the same time USS Benefold (DDG-65) made a Freedom of Operation navigation around islands in the body of water, drawing ire from Beijing, USNI News reported.

The strike group will...

https://news.usni.org/2022/07/13/ronald-reagan-carrier-strike-group-now-in-south-china-sea

Chinese, Russian Warships Continue to Circle Japan, Defense Minister Says

Chinese ships operating near Japan on June 24, 2022. Japanese MoD Image

An uptick in Russian and Chinese warship movements near Japan are a part of an ongoing military demonstration toward Tokyo, Japan’s Defense Minister Nobou Kishi said this week.

The People’s Liberation Army Navy and the Russian Pacific fleet have, since mid-June, sent two separate surface action groups around the Japanese home islands.

“The fact that about 10 Russian and Chinese ships sail around Japan on the same route in a...

https://news.usni.org/2022/06/24/chinese-russian-warships-continue-to-circle-japan-defense-minister-says

Chinese, Russian Warships Active Near Japan Ahead of RIMPAC 2022

Chinese ships on June 17, 2022. JMSDF Photos

Russian warships are now steaming in the East China and the Philippine seas near Japan, the Russian Navy and the Japan Defense Ministry announced on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) Indo-Pacific Deployment 2022 (IPD22) drilled with the U.S. Navy while ships from five Indo-Pacific nations sailed together out of Guam en route to the Rim of the Pacific 2022 (RIMPAC2022) exercise in Hawaii.

The Russian Navy said destroyers...

https://news.usni.org/2022/06/20/chinese-russian-warships-active-near-japan-ahead-of-rimpac-2022

Chinese, Russian Warships Continue to Exercise Near Japan

Chinese Dongdiao-class surveillance ship, hull number 795

A Chinese surface group sailed past Japanese islands to enter the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday while a PLAN surveillance ship sailed through the Miyako Strait on Thursday to enter the Pacific Ocean according to the Japanese Ministry of Defense.

On Wednesday the Joint Staff Office (JSO) issued a released stating that at 9 a.m. on the same day, the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force sighted a People’s Liberation Army Navy Luyang III destroyer...

https://news.usni.org/2022/06/03/chinese-russian-warships-continue-to-exercise-near-japan

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