Japan Faces Readiness Hurdle As it Modernizes Military, Former Defense Chief Says

A Japan Ground Self-Defense Force CH-47 Chinook, lands on the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA-6) during a bilateral simulated casualty pick up in the Philippine Sea, March 10, 2023. U.S. Marine Corps Photo

Japan’s toughest hurdle, as it launches an unprecedented military modernization program and doubles defense spending, is the operational readiness of its air, naval and land forces, a former chief of the Japan Self-Defense Forces said Thursday.

Japan is “running out of maintenance...

https://news.usni.org/2023/03/17/japan-faces-readiness-hurdle-as-it-modernizes-military-former-defense-chief-says

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 Lawmakers Argue for Counterstrike Capability for Self Defense Force

A Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Soldier assigned to the 1st Airborne Brigade proceeds to a meeting point after completing a static line jump from a U. S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron at JGSDF Narashino Training Area, Japan, April 19, 2022. US Air Force Photo

Japan must develop counterstrike capabilities in coordination with the United States to deter the “more serious imminent threat” from North Korea and the newly accelerated threats from China and...

https://news.usni.org/2022/05/03/japanese-lawmakers-argue-for-counterstrike-capability-for-self-defense-force

Japan’s Ruling Party Calls for ‘Counter Attack’ Capability, Increased Defense Budget

Soldiers from the 1st Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) conduct individual and small-unit maneuver exercises during Iron Fist at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, February 6, 2019. US Marine Corps Photo

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presented its national security strategy proposals Wednesday to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, calling to increase in Japan’s defense budget to 2 percent or more of GDP along with the development...

https://news.usni.org/2022/04/28/japans-ruling-party-calls-for-counter-attack-capability-increased-defense-budget

U.S. Navy Ends its Search for Downed Japanese F-35A

Undated photo of DSCV Van Gogh. A Navy salvage team is embarked on the ship that left Okinawa, Japan on April 24, 2019.

The U.S. Navy has ended its support to find a missing Japanese F-35A Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter that crashed last month, U.S. 7th Fleet announced late Wednesday.

“A U.S. Navy salvage team aboard a contracted vessel completed its mission supporting search and recovery operations with the Japan Self-Defense Forces after locating debris from the downed JASDF F-35A off the...

https://news.usni.org/2019/05/08/u-s-navy-ends-its-search-for-downed-japanese-f-35a

Navy Black Box Detector Joins in Deep Water Hunt for Missing Japanese F-35A

Undated photo of DSCV Van Gogh. A Navy salvage team is embarked on the ship that left Okinawa, Japan on April 24, 2019.

The U.S. Navy is employing tools it used in the search for the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 to help find a Japanese F-35A that crashed earlier this month, U.S. 7th Fleet announced on Thursday.

The service is sending out a Navy salvage team with a commercial deep-sea submersible, unspecified unmanned underwater vehicles and a TPL-25 “black box detector” – a towed sensor...

https://news.usni.org/2019/04/26/navy-black-box-detector-joins-in-deep-water-hunt-for-missing-japanese-f-35a

Submarine Rescue Ship, Air Force U-2 Join Search for Missing Japanese Pilot, F-35A

A U-2 Dragon Lady flies while a civilian airliner flies above in the background at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., on June 20, 2018. US Air Force Photo

A U.S. surveillance plane and a recently commissioned Japanese submarine rescue ship are now scanning the ocean floor in search of a downed F-35A.

Over the weekend, Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force identified the pilot of the F-35A as Maj. Akinori Hosomi. His F-35A crashed into the Pacific Ocean Tuesday evening, about 85 miles east of Misawa...

https://news.usni.org/2019/04/15/submarine-rescue-ship-air-force-u-2-join-search-for-missing-japanese-pilot-f-35a

New Report Suggests Closer Integration With Japan, Including Addition to ‘5 Eyes’ Intel Sharing

A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon assigned to the Mad Foxes of Patrol Squadron (VP) 5 is on display next to the newest maritime patrol asset of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, the Kawasaki P-1, in November 2014. VP-5 is forward deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility conducting theater anti-submarine warfare operations and joint interoperability efforts with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. US Navy photo.

Japan should be added to the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing network...

https://news.usni.org/2018/10/03/new-report-suggests-closer-integration-with-japan-including-addition-to-5-eyes-intel-sharing