Jennifer A. Villalovos, U.S. Navy via Wikimedia Commons

While most of the world is focused on Communist China’s massive naval and military buildup and expansionism in the South China Sea, few have noticed Japan’s quietly modernizing and growing defense forces. Still restricted by arguably outdated prohibitions from World War II, Japan has nonetheless steadily expanded its “Self Defense Force” (SDF) in recent years.

Spurred by the Chinese threat, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the SDF is now ramping up its capabilities even further. Increasingly, in a potential future conflict with China, Japan’s SDF could provide a winning complement to U.S and other allied forces.

Due to China’s rapidly growing military might, many analysts argue that the Asia-Pacific’s strategic balance may have already shifted in its favor, especially in the South China Sea.  However, as the Asia Times (AT) notes:

…that calculus often overlooks Japan’s stealthier military progress and the support it could provide the US in any potential conflict scenario, including through new weapons’ systems designed specifically to counter China’s new-age military assets including aircraft carriers.

Within its mostly now self-imposed restrictions – and sometimes just barely within – Japan has quietly been modernizing and expanding its military capabilities, to include its first hypersonic glide missile, a new Marine amphibious force, and its first real aircraft carriers since WWII.

Japan’s new hypersonic anti-ship missile, specifically designed to threaten China’s modest new aircraft carriers in the East and South China Seas, has been called a “game changer” by the Japanese defense establishment, as quoted in AT. When deployed, Japan will be only the fourth country in the world – after the U.S., Russia, and China – to be armed with hypersonic missiles.

Also, according to Military-Today.com, since 2009 the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) has had two Hyūga-class “helicopter destroyers,” similar in size to older U.S. Iwo Jima class helicopter assault ships but avoiding the “assault” label. These vessels are primarily focused on anti-submarine warfare (ASW).

In 2015 the JMSDF added the larger Izumo-class “multi-purpose destroyers” to its fleet. The second Izumo-class ship – Kaga – was commissioned in 2017. While also labeled “destroyers,” these flattops are essentially larger helicopter carriers than the Hyūga-class.

In May 2019, President Donald Trump inspected Kaga during his visit to Japan – the first ever inspection of a Japanese warship by a U.S. president. At the event, reported Reuters, Trump expressed his support for Japan’s effort to become more active in Pacific defense and security, adding that “Kaga will help our nations defend against a range of complex threats in the region and far beyond.” (RELATED: China’s Aircraft Carrier ‘Information War’ Against U.S.)

Notably, in December 2018, reported The Diplomat, the Japanese Cabinet approved the conversion of both Izumo class ships into “aircraft carriers” capable of operating the Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) F-35B stealth fighter aircraft as well as V-22 Tilt-Rotor Ospreys. This is a Japanese first since WWII and will greatly increase JMSDF integration with the warships and aircraft of the U.S. 7th Fleet.

To add to this expanding naval capability, as described in The National Interest (TNI) – in 2018 the JMSDF created its first “marine” force, the 2,100-man Amphibious Rapid Response Brigade (ARDB). Unlike U.S. Marines, Japanese “Marines” are not a separate service. This force was created under the Japanese ground force’s first unified command.

According to TNI, its mission, for now, is specific: “to rapidly recapture Japan’s southwestern islands should they be occupied by Chinese forces.” Maintaining control of these islands is key to US and Australian war plans, as the Japanese island belt effectively constrains Chinese naval operations.

While some argue this force is too small to be effective in a high-intensity conflict with China, TNI properly notes that:

…this overlooks that the amphibious brigade may deter smaller-scale “grey zone” actions possibly mounted by China’s paramilitary naval militias and coast guard. The ability to rapidly and credibly respond to island seizures could fundamentally alter the risk-reward calculus for such actions.

While both U.S. and Japanese forces need to be able to fight and win a full-scale, high-intensity conflict – deterrence in the “Grey Zone” with China is almost as important, and possibly more relevant, than preparing for all-out war. Meanwhile, across the entire range of possible conflict, Japan’s military is rising to the threat.

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  2. Manchuria is the permanent no-love-lost between Japan and China, the British invited China to take part in the rearrangement of Japan after the 2nd WW and China couldn’t wait to get there – only Japan is under permanent Unconditional Surrender, as Germany is, but protecting itself against China isn’t a bad idea – just how do we know Japan will stick to China and not wander?

  3. As kind as they are kept in check this is a good thing! The Chinese have never been able to defeat the Japanese!

  4. It is a hard pill to swallow. During WWII we were defending China from the Japanese. When the conflict with Japan was over, China turned their back to the U.S.A. and embraced communism. On the other hand we helped Japan to restore some dignity to the nation. I lived through the years of the conflict in Korea {Communist} and Viet Nam {Communist} and the Cold War with Russia. After winning a war and establishing a friendly relationship with our former enemies, Our former friendly nations become our enemy and all we did for them is washed away. I can’t see what was gained from all of the blood shed inflicted on both sides. Now our former enemy Japan is gearing up by building a formidable force again. What did we learn????

    1. It’s not China turned back to the US. The US or world gov supported Republic of China lead by Chiang Kai-shek was defeated by USSR supported People’s Red Army lead by Mao Zedong. There was no betrayal, it was just one side won the civil war against another side. If there was somebody to blame, just blame Chiang Kai-shek for losing the battle with great support. I think your point on learning from all those wars can be explained as follow: Blood and lost of life don’t matter when it comes to the primary benefit for the top 1% world leaders. There’s no forever friends or enemies, and more or less, there’s not going to be a No.1 nation forever on their planet. US has already beaten five or six countries in the past as they were only trying to become stronger, China is just the next one on line. China’s rising is indeed threatening the western’s leaders benefit in Asia, but who wants to stay in the 2nd level of pyramid when there’s a chance to go to the 1st.

      1. Chiang Kai Shek was not a good or effective leader. It wasn’t our place to win for the nationalists.

  5. IMO Japan has been a good ally to the US since the end of our governance of Japan following WW2. They have changed their constitution to allow their forces outside of Japan. Their medics served in the near east as I recalled on a humanitarian basis. I do note that this one ship is named Kaga. In WW2 that was the name of an IJN carrier, sister ship of the Akagi. But then how many carriers named Enterprise have we had? I don’t think that Japan bolstering it’s military is a huge cause for alarm. European nations got their panties in a knot when Germany was reunified after the fall of the Soviet Union. I think that the added strength of Japan’s military will add to the deterrence factor against Chinese sabre rattling. JMO

  6. Japan has completely dominated China for hundreds of years, the ‘only’ reason they do not today is because America beat Japan and our treaty [outdated] stated that Japan could no longer maintain a military, but now they are needed against China, who they hate and since China fears Japan, they will not mess with them !!

  7. If you want a simple counter to China it is this: STOP DOING ANY TECHNOLOGICAL OR MILITARY-PRODUCTS BUSINESS WITH THE PRC!!!! Two reasons for this: 1. The
    Chinese will do anything in their power to gain the rights to and/or steal the data that goes into the manufacture of such as mentioned above. And 2. If they are manufacturing military material they then have the opportunity to sabotage same. Common sense dictates that the “free world” NOT do critical business with its would-be executioner. Those captains of industry who insist on currying favor with China should be warned that their actions may be indictable under the aiding-and-abetting laws if they don’t pull out of China. As a sidebar, this will help reestablish our economy which has been crushed by the panic caused by Covid-19.

  8. The name “Kaga” was the name of one of the aircraft carriers that attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. I wonder if Trump when he was touring it realized how ironic it was that the Japanese chose that name?

  9. It’s our own fault, wealthy business lobbied to exploit cheap Chinese labor, and once again its the same lousy story, we’ll end up fighting over what the wealthy lobbied our government to do, in the name of greater profit.

  10. England and France and Germany have surrendered to the elite in ONE WORLD ORDER. So now we have another country that has guts that will take a stand against evil. Too bad they aren’t Christian either.

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