Tora Tora Tora!!!!!

[Lonestar]

Japan to build two STOVL aircraft Carriers

It's about bloody time. I always thoought the time of "self-defense" for those guys was over.

[PLATO]

Aircraft carriers are only for one thing...projecting power. Where, exactly, does Japan need to project power to protect her national interests? DPRK can be reached by current airfields. I believe China falls within range of available bombers. Where exactly will these carriers operate, and what will their mission be?

I am all for Japan providing for her own defense, but I am unsure if it is wise to reinstitute offensive capabilities.

[Nubclear]

Re: Tora Tora Tora!!!!!

Glory!

[Drake Tungsten]

Where, exactly, does Japan need to project power to protect her national interests?

From the article:

The Japanese carriers can be deployed as command ships to give the Maritime Self-Defense Force, as the Japanese navy is called, a modest ability to project power into the sea lanes that are vital to Japan's economy.

[PLATO]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

Where, exactly, does Japan need to project power to protect her national interests?

From the article:

The Japanese carriers can be deployed as command ships to give the Maritime Self-Defense Force, as the Japanese navy is called, a modest ability to project power into the sea lanes that are vital to Japan's economy.

Yes I read that. Where are they planning on the US navy going? Two carriers are "modest" ability!?! Something just doesn't feel right about this.

[Drake Tungsten]

U.S. ally or not, it's prudent to have some sort of force projection capability in case the Chinese ever get uppity in the South China Sea and cut off the sea lanes that supply all of Japan's oil.

[Lonestar]

Originally posted by PLATO1003


Yes I read that. Where are they planning on the US navy going? Two carriers are "modest" ability!?! Something just doesn't feel right about this.

Well...Japan already has two large LHD's, with flight decks and everything. They are about the size of the apperently "dedicated" carriers they plan on building.

[Panag]

hi ,

* east wind rain*


great , at last

have a nice day

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by PLATO1003
Yes I read that. Where are they planning on the US navy going? Two carriers are "modest" ability!?! Something just doesn't feel right about this.

*cough*North Korea*cough*

[Lonestar]

Also, those two carriers are smaller than our LHD amphibs.

[monolith94]

"The Japanese carriers, however, will not come close to the newly commissioned U.S. leviathan, the 98,000-ton Ronald Reagan with its 80 warplanes"

Holy shît, we really do dominate militarily, don't we?

[GePap]

The only other country with real carriers are the French, and they have one with 40 planes.

Heck, why, no, as part of all this national deficit spending they have to pump up the eocnomy, make a couple of Nimitz class equivalent ships?

[Lonestar]

Originally posted by monolith94
"The Japanese carriers, however, will not come close to the newly commissioned U.S. leviathan, the 98,000-ton Ronald Reagan with its 80 warplanes"

Holy shît, we really do dominate militarily, don't we?

That's a bit of a misnomer. The Planes the Gipper carries are CTOL, or "Conventional Take off, landing". They can travel signifigantly farther and carry signifigantly more ordnance than STOVL planes, which is what the JMSDF is buying.

[Drake Tungsten]

*cough*North Korea*cough*

These carriers aren't meant to deal with North Korea; NK is well within the range of Japanese land-based air power. These carriers are meant for protecting sea lanes against an improving Chinese navy.

Heck, why, no, as part of all this national deficit spending they have to pump up the eocnomy, make a couple of Nimitz class equivalent ships?

They've been engaging in deficit spending for years now and it hasn't helped them out of their malaise. A couple of big carriers won't help the Japanese economy in the slightest.

[Sava]

It's just like in that South Park episode, "Chinpoko mon"! They failed in their attempt to take over the youth of America with trendy cartoons and merchandise, so now they are building carriers to finish Pearl Harbor off!