Armée Japonaise/Japan Self-Defense Forces

Rappel du premier message :

Seguleh I a écrit:

Salut
La constitution japonaise interdit au japon d'avoir des porte-avions. Lorsque leur porte helico amontré un "signe" qu'il pouvait etre utilisé comme porte-aeronefs, cela a provoqué un tolle au parlement. A titre d'exemple, l'exercice de bombardement aerien n'est pas autorisé au japon, d'ou des F-2 qui se sont entrainait en douce a l'etranger... Cf DSI

il me semble que j'ai déjà posté une vidéo montrant un F-2 faire une démonstration de bombardement en public au japon

Eh un Leclerc......

Gémini a écrit:

Eh un Leclerc......

Il y a deux chars différents, le nouveau de Type 10 et le Type 90 qui lui ressemble plus à un Léopard 2, ils ont un équipage
de 3 hommes chacun, le Type 10 pèse 44 tonne et le Type 90 lui a 6 tonnes de plus.

Type 10


Type 90

Equipage a 3 hommes,canon de 120 a ame lisse (Rheinmetal), mode hunter killer,boite auto,conduite de tir numérique,blindage composite intégrant des céramiques (Kyoto Ceramic Company) ,chargement automatique,suspension oléopneumatique,masse réduite,moteur 1500cv de Mitsubishi..........un leclerc asiatique.......

Citation :

A défaut de F-22, le Japon mise sur l’ATD-X Shinshin

http://www.aerobuzz.fr/spip.php?article5263

Citation :

Japan’s Largest Warship Since World War II Takes To Sea



Japan’s largest warship since World War II has left for its first set of sea trials last week ahead of entering the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF)fleet next year.

JS Izumo (DDH-183) departed Tokyo Bay on Sept. 23, as seen as in a video on YouTube, for the first round of what will be about six months of sea trials ahead of the ship’s commissioning next year, a JMSDF official told Jane’s Defence Weekly on Monday.

The 24,000-ton helicopter carrier is the first of two planned ships. Izumo will enter the JMSDF force next year. DDH-184 will enter the fleet in 2017, according to the Naval Institute’s Combat Fleet’s of the World.



The development pair of ships have fomented regional controversy since the formal start of the program, in part because of their strong resemblance to aircraft carriers

“It is an aircraft carrier, and Japan just called it a helicopter destroyer to downplay its aggressive nature,” Zhang Junshe with the People’s Liberation Army Naval Military Studies Research Institute told China Daily last year.

To Japan’s neighbors, even the name Izumo is a loaded word.

“The original Izumo, an armored cruiser that participated in the Battle of Tsushima, was purchased with reparations from the first Sino-Japanese War,” wrote USNI News contributor Kyle Mizokami last year.
“There is little doubt all parties, particularly the Chinese, are aware of the lineage.”

Though billed by Japan as primarily an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and humanitarian and disaster relief (HADR) platform, its character is more in line with the U.S. Navy’s America-class of amphibious warships.



On Aug. 9, the Japanese Ministry of Defense held a naming ceremony for the Izumo, the latest ship to join the Maritime Self-Defense Forces. Officially a “helicopter carrier-type escort/destroyer,” Izumo was built at the Japan Marine United shipyards at Yokohama. Although publicly touted as an anti-submarine warfare platform, the ship is capable of filling a critical role in the defense of disputed Japanese territory. The launch has been reported with alarm in East Asia as resurgent territorial claims—exacerbated by nationalism and longstanding historical differences—have generated regional tension not seen for decades.

The appearance of the Izumo has triggered a negative reaction throughout East Asia, in a time when territorial squabbling has heightened historical tensions. It is perhaps no surprise that the even the name Izumo itself has historical baggage: the original Izumo, an armored cruiser that participated in the Battle of Tsushima, was purchased with reparations from the first Sino-Japanese War. There is little doubt all parties, particularly the Chinese, are aware of the lineage.

The Izumo-class of helicopter destroyers, of which there will be two, represents an evolutionary growth over the previous Hyuga-class helicopter destroyers. The ships measure 800 feet in length with a beam of 124 feet and a displacement of 19,500 tons. he ship will have a crew of approximately 470. The flight deck and hangar are designed to accommodate up to 14 helicopters, including two CH-47 Chinooks. The flight deck is sufficiently large to allow simultaneous flight operations by up to five helicopters.

The Izumo is being touted by the JMSDF as a multi-purpose vessel. The primary stated mission is anti-submarine warfare, with the ship embarking multiple H-60 helicopters. The JMSDF also has stated that the ship would be useful in humanitarian assistance/disaster relief operations, serving as a floating airfield for the refueling of search-and-rescue helicopters. During the 11 March 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, the USS Ronald Reagan served a similar role. To support such a role, Izumo has a 35-bed hospital, complete with a surgical suite and has accommodations for up to 450 passengers.

The launch of Izumo is part of a larger naval shipbuilding boom in Asia, and a specific trend toward aviation-capable, multipurpose ships. South Korea has one ship, the Dokdo. China has one carrier, the Liaoning, and is reportedly at work on a second. Russia has said that the first of two Mistral-class LHDs ordered from France will join its Pacific fleet at Vladivostok. Australia has two Canberra-class LHDs on order. In addition to the Izumo, Japan currently has the three LSTs of the Osumi class, and the two ships of the Hyuga class. At this time only Liaoning has a fixed-wing aviation capability. All of these ships are capable of projecting power—each having full-length flight decks and many also having well decks. Even the smallest can carry at least a battalion of marines or naval infantry.

Fueling this boom in large part are a number of longstanding territorial disputes and historical rivalries. China claims the South China Sea, which has brought on tensions with practically every nation that has a sea border with the claimed area. Japan claims the southern Kuriles, the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, and the Korean island of Dokdo, which brings it into dispute with Russia, China, Taiwan, and South Korea, respectively. South Korea claims the Japanese-held Tsushima island and vigorously defends Dokdo. Most of the islands or islets at the heart of these territorial claims could easily be defended—or assaulted—by one of these new generation of ships.

China’s recent pressing claims on Japan’s Senkaku Islands (known as Diaoyu Islands in China) have caught Japan ill-prepared to defend them. Japan has few military bases in the area; China has not so vigorously pressed its claim as it has in the last three years. The Izumo and the rest of Japan’s amphibious and helicopter escort ships could theoretically provide air and sea lift to transport Japan’s nascent marine infantry, the Western Army Infantry Regiment based in southern Japan.

Negative reaction in Asia also is being driven by the fact that the Izumo appears to be an aircraft carrier, which is generally considered an offensive weapon. Suspicion of Japanese motives is historically rooted in Japan’s extended—often brutal—occupations in the past of Taiwan, Korea, and China. Japan’s neighbors also take a skeptical view of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, which they see as an army, navy, and air force in all but name in a country where armed forces are constitutionally banned. Japan’s perceived bending of that law to accumulate defense capabilities fuels suspicions.

Indeed, there are no obvious technical obstacles to the Izumo carrying F-35Bs fighters. Some improvements the Izumo sports over the previous Hyuga class—such as moving defensive armament off the flight deck, and moving an elevator behind the island—support theories involving fixed-wing aircraft. Publicly, the JMSDF denies that the ships will be equipped with the F-35B.

http://news.usni.org/

Citation :

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force

Field Training Exercise with the U.S.Army. (11 photos)

13th Infantry Regiment of Japan-GSDF carried out a field training exercise, Rising Thunder, with the U.S. Army in Yakima Training Center, United States.


AH-1S

PHOTOS:

Citation :

Japon: record d’interceptions aériennes !



Tokyo, la Force aérienne d'autodéfense du Japon (JASDF) a lancé 533 interceptions aériennes, depuis le premier semestre de l'exercice 2014, soit un record en comparaison des 308 sorties effectuées au cours des six premiers mois de l'exercice 2013. Le nombre total d'interceptions de l'exercice 2013 avaient atteint le chiffre de 810.

Des violations  aériennes en augmentations:



Selon le rapport intermédiaire du ministère japonais de la Défense, il s’agit de la plus importante demande en matière d’interception et d’identification d’avions que le pays a connu depuis ces cinq dernière années.

La majorité des avions intercepté étaient russes soit : 324 avions contre 136 pour la même période l'année précédente. Le nombre d'avions militaires chinois intercepté alors qu'il s'approchait ou volant près de l'espace aérien japonais a également augmenté de 149 à 207.

Selon le ministère japonais de la Défense on pourra noter une certaine différence en matière de type d’aéronefs interceptés, en effet, la plupart des avions chinois interceptés étaient des avions de combat, alors que la majorité des avions russes étaient des aéronefs de reconnaissance et de surveillance.

Pour les spécialistes, on notera un élément intéressant en ce qui concerne l’aviation militaire russe avec l’interception à de nombreuse reprise d’avions de type Sukhoi Su-24MR «Fencer E», soit une une plate-forme de reconnaissance dérivée de l'avion d'attaque Su-24M.


Photos : 1 Boeing F-15J Japonais @ JASDF 2 J-10 Chinois @ Li Weng 3 Su-24MR @ Nadia Severoswki

http://psk.blog.24heures.ch/archive/2014/10/18/japon-record-d-interceptions-aeriennes-857241.html

Citation :

New Izumo-class carriers to greatly boost Japan's force projection


Japan's new Izumo-class aircraft carriers will make the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force one of the most lethal offensive forces in the world, reports the Beijing-based China Youth Daily.

The JDS Izumo helicopter carrier has been undergoing intensive sea trials since late September as Japan prepares to launch two Izumo-class destroyers over the next two years, the report said.

Once commissioned, these Izumo-class vessels will greatly enhance Japan's anti-submarine, anti-ship, air combat and amphibious assault capabilities, giving the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force two light aircraft carrier battle groups and two helicopter carrier battle groups.

Izumo-class carriers will boost the Japanese navy in four key respects. First of all, the Izumo-class can potentially double the anti-submarine capabilities of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Currently, Japan's Shirane-class destroyers can carry 9-10 helicopters, compile two anti-submarine crews and carry 16 anti-submarine torpedoes, while its battle groups can equip 42 MK-46 anti-submarine torpedoes and 112 ASROC anti-submarine missiles, which have a range of 11 kilometers and 22 km, respectively.

On the other hand, Izumo-class destroyers can carry 14 helicopters, five anti-submarine crews and 40 anti-submarine torpedoes, with battle groups that can equip 42 MK-46 anti-submarine torpedoes and 104 ASROC anti-submarine missiles.

Second, the Izumo-class can more than double Japan's air combat capabilities. Shirane-class battle groups come equipped with more than 300 SM-2MR, RIM-7 series and RIM-162 ship-to-air missiles with ranges between 16 km and 150 km. By comparison, the Izumo-class destroyer can carry eight F-35 stealth fighter jets and carry 32 AIM-120 mid-long range missiles and 16 short-range missiles. Its battle groups can also equip more than 400 ship-to-air missiles with ranges between 16 km and 150 km.

Third, the Izumo-class can more than triple Japan's anti-ship combat capabilities. The Shirane-class destroyer can carry 56 Harpoon or Type 90 ship-to-ship missiles which have a range between 90 km and 200 km. But with up to eight F-35 fighters on board, the Izumo-class can carry as many as 48 Norwegian-made naval strike missiles, extending its anti-ship combat radius to 640 km. At the same time, Izumo-class battle groups can also carry more than 50 Harpoon or Type 90 ship-to-ship missiles.

Fourth, the Izumo-class destroyer will lead to a dramatic surge in Japan's remote delivery and amphibious combat capabilities. At the moment, Japan's three Oosumi-class landing ships can be loaded with 990 marine officers, six landing craft and 30 tanks. Each Izumo-class carrier, on the other hand, can carry 500 soldiers and multiple helicopters and tiltrotor aircraft, with a deck that can cater to five helicopters or MV-22 Ospreys landing or taking off simultaneously. Two Izumo-class vessels will be able to transport 1,000 soldiers to the frontline while also strengthening defense and invasion capabilities.

http://www.wantchinatimes.com

Citation :

Le destroyer japonais Hamagiri en visite à Vladivostok



Le destroyer Hamagiri de la Force maritime d'autodéfense japonaise est arrivé samedi dans le port russe de Vladivostok
pour une visite de cinq jours. Lors de la visite, il participera à un exercice conjoint avec des bâtiments de la Flotte russe
du Pacifique.

Le destroyer Hamagiri prendra part à un exercice russo-japonais prévu le 28 octobre dans le golfe de Pierre-le-Grand.

PHOTOS:

http://fr.ria.ru/photolents/20141027/202826656.html

Citation :

Raytheon awarded $205 million Phalanx upgrade contract


Proven system increases the perimeter for ship self-defense

PARIS, Oct. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) was awarded a multi-year bulk buy contract totaling over $200 million to provide Phalanx Close-in Weapon Systems (CIWS) upgrade kits, support equipment and hardware spares to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). The CIWS is an integral element of Japan's Ship Self-Defense Program.

"Phalanx provides the critical inner-layer of protection to sailors around the globe against threats that are continually evolving," said Rick Nelson, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems' Naval and Area Mission Defense product line. "Thanks to its array of sensors, Phalanx brings a proven solution against threats launched from land, sea or air."

Close-in Defense Solutions

Phalanx is a rapid-fire, computer-controlled radar and 20 mm gun system that automatically acquires, tracks and destroys enemy threats that have penetrated all other ship defense systems. More than 890 systems have been built and deployed in navies around the world.

Intended to enlarge Phalanx's keep-out range against evolving anti-ship missiles, rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft and other threats, SeaRAM Anti-ship Missile Defense Systems use advanced Phalanx Block 1B sensors and replaces the gun with an 11-round Rolling Airframe Missile guide. SeaRAM is aboard the Independence-class of the U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ships.

http://raytheon.mediaroom.com

Citation :

Japan plans to load sensor on satellite to better detect N. Korean missiles

The Defense Ministry is developing an infrared ray sensor for early warning satellites to help Japan detect ballistic missile launches on its own.

The sensor is expected to be loaded onto the “advanced optical satellite” of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) scheduled for launch in fiscal 2019. The satellite will be used as part of measures to prepare for disasters.

The ministry will conduct a demonstration test on the accuracy of the sensor in detecting from space an object on Earth that emits heat. Infrared ray censors can detect high-temperature objects at all times of the day and are considered indispensable for early warning satellites.

The development plan was revealed in a technology symposium in Tokyo by senior officials of the ministry’s Technical Research and Development Institute (TRDI).

“With the sensor, we will be able to decrease instances of wrong detections of missile launches,” said Yoshio Oguchi, director of the TRDI’s Advanced Defense Technology Center. “We want to establish a more accurate detection technology.”

Japan, which does not have its own early warning satellite, currently depends on information from the United States for North Korea ballistic missile launches.

The planned sensor will be able to simultaneously detect infrared rays with two different wavelengths, making it possible to distinguish between the heat of missiles and the heat from mountain fires or volcanic eruptions, officials said.

The Defense Ministry and JAXA have jointly conducted research on infrared ray sensors since April 2013, following legal revisions in 2012 that allowed JAXA to use outer space for security purposes.

http://ajw.asahi.com

Citation :

Boeing to upgrade cabin and cockpit avionics for Japan's fleet of E-767 AWACS aircraft





HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass., 17 Nov. 2014. Airborne electronics experts at the Boeing Co. Defense, Space & Security segment in Kent, Wash., will upgrade cockpit avionics and cabin avionics on four of Japan's wide-area radar surveillance jets under terms of a $25.6 million contract.

Officials of the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., are asking Boeing to upgrade four E-767 aircraft and three ground support facilities for the government of Japan as part of the Japan Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) mission control unit design and production program.

The Boeing E-767 is an AWACS aircraft that mimics the Boeing E-3 Sentry's surveillance radar and air control system, except it is installed on a Boeing 767-200 passenger jet airframe, rather than the E-3's Boeing 707 airframe.

Related: Air Force and NATO select Boeing to modernize avionics and flight deck for AWACS fleets

The aircraft upgrade is to provide Japan with an upgraded AWACS command and control capability, and to enable Japan’s AWACS fleet to be more compatible with the U.S. Air Force AWACS fleet baseline and provide for greater interoperability. Japan will use this enhanced capability to provide for its self-defense.

Boeing will provide upgraded mission computing, electronic support measures, traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS), interrogator friend or foe (IFF) transponder, next-generation IFF, automatic identification system, and data link upgrades for the four E-767 AWACS aircraft for Japan.

Last fall the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible foreign military sale to Japan of an E-767 AWACS mission computing upgrade. The E-767 mission computer upgrade was to include four electronic support measure systems; eight AN/UPX-40 next generation IFF systems; eight AN/APX-119 IFF transponders; and four KIV-77 cryptographic computers.

Related: Avionics Upgrade on E-3 AWACS to be provide by Rockwell Collins

The request also involved design and kit production, support and test equipment, provisioning, spare and repair parts, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical documentation, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and technical support, installation and checkout, and other related elements of program support.

Boeing will do the work in Kent, Wash., and should be finished by the end of February 2015. For more information contact Boeing Defense, Space & Security online at www.boeing.com/boeing/bds, or the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at www.wpafb.af.mil/aflcmc.

http://www.intelligent-aerospace.com

Citation :

Reports say Japan buying 3 Global Hawk drones





Yokota AIR BASE, Japan — Japan will buy three Global Hawk drones and may fly them out of Misawa Air Base, according to Japanese media.

State Broadcaster NHK and the Kyodo news agency reported Monday on plans to buy the Northrop Grumman-built Global Hawks along with four E-2D Advanced Hawkeye early-warning aircraft.

Defense Ministry officials have asked for funds to buy the drones in the draft of next fiscal year’s budget. They plan to start using them in fiscal 2019 and may base the aircraft at Misawa, in Aomori prefecture, according to the media reports.

Japan’s government has signaled that it wants to increase its surveillance capabilities as it seeks to respond to Chinese aggression in disputed maritime territories and North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.

A U.S. Air Force Global Hawk first flew over Japan during relief efforts following the earthquake and tsunami that struck the country’s east coast in 2011. Several Guam-based U.S. Global Hawks deployed to Misawa for the first time this summer.

Northrop Grumman welcomed the sales a statement issued Monday.

“Once Japan formally announces its budget later this year, we will begin contract negotiations with our U.S. customers in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy respectively,” the statement said.

U.S. Forces Japan spokesman Kenneth Hoffman said in an email Monday that American officials are aware of Japan’s decision to buy the drones.

“The Global Hawk system can be used to cooperatively address common regional challenges such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, piracy, terrorism and other issues affecting the region,” he said, citing the use of the aircraft in Operation Tomodachi – the earthquake/tsunami relief effort in Japan in 2011 – and Operation Damayan – the response to last year’s Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

http://www.stripes.com

Citation :

Le Japon achètera des V-22 Osprey

Le 25/11/2014 à 09h35, par Guillaume Belan


MV-22 © USNavy  

Tokyo vient de publier son budget de la défense pour 2015, dans lequel un financement est prévu pour l'achat d'aéronefs à rotors basculants ("tiltrotor"), permettant un décollage comme un hélicoptère et un vol de croisière comme un avion. Bien que le budget japonais ne mentionne pas expressément le V-22, Caroline Hutcheson, la communicante de Boeing, a confirmé jeudi dernier que le Japon souhaitait acquérir le V-22 Osprey. Aucun nombre d'appareils n'a été spécifié, mais la commande japonaise pourrait être comprise entre 15 et 20 V-22 dans un premier temps, pour équiper les forces d'autodéfense. Le Japon pourrait devenir le premier pays export. Israël qui avait initialement manifesté son intérêt pour le V-22, a récemment annulé sa commande de 6 aéronefs, suite à des difficultés financières. A ce jour, plus de 400 appareils tiltrotor ont été commandés par les forces américaines (Navy, Marines, USAF), qui l'ont déjà engagé en opérations (Irak, Afghanistan...).


http://www.air-cosmos.com/2014/11/25/27019-le-japon-achetera-des-v-22-osprey

Citation :

Boeing set to deliver 100th Japanese CH-47 fuselage


Boeing this week is set to deliver the fuselage components for Japan’s 100th CH-47 heavy lift helicopter, which are completed in that country by Kawasaki Heavy Industries under a partnership that has lasted 30 years.

“For both Boeing and KHI, performance has been exemplary,” Leland Wight, Boeing’s H-47 international programme manager, tells Flightglobal. “I don’t think we’ve ever delivered anything late through this entire program. That’s something to be heralded. Typically we would struggle to bridge our business practices and our cultures.”

The fuselage components and associated Boeing-supplied kits for the 100th aircraft are currently in production at Boeing’s factory outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The cabin sections are complete and due for delivery in January to Kawasaki Heavy Industries, which finalises production in Japan.

Japan CH-47 Chinooks are co-produced jointly by Boeing and KHI under a licensing agreement. Boeing completes major assembly of airframe parts and KHI populates the aircraft with avionics and mission equipment unique to Japan’s military.

Boeing provides major fuselage components like the cabin crown and bottom, aft section, aft pylon and ramp, nose enclosure, avionics pods, main fuel pods, and cockpit structures. The company also supplies the rotor blades, shafts and transmission along with engineering and manufacturing technical support.

KHI performs cabin side-panel, cockpit and final aircraft assembly, then tests each aircraft and delivers them to the Japanese Ministry of Defense (JMOD).

KHI has manufactured and delivered 95 Chinooks to the Japanese Ministry of Defense. Nine aircraft are currently in various stages of production at Boeing and KHI, which will assemble and the 100th aircraft for the JMOD in mid-2016.

Japan has the second largest operational fleet of Chinooks after the US Army. It has taken delivery of an average three per year since 1984 in order to maintain an active fleet of around 70 aircraft total between the army and air force.

“Japan is an island nation and the Chinook was tailor-made for that application. This aircraft fits their bill really well,” says Alan Aleixo, H-47 program manager for Japan.

While Japan traditionally keeps its military activities close to its own shores – until recently it was legally bound to use force only in self defence ‑ Japan has used its Chinooks in several high-profile humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions in the past decade. The Japanese were among the first nations in 2010 to respond to massive flooding in Pakistan and in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan that ravaged the Philippines.

The aircraft allowed the Japanese to be the first in and the last out after the devastating 2004 tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands in Southeast Asia. They aircraft also allowed the Japanese army and air force to provide long-range support and evacuation for their own citizens when a similar tidal wave wreaked havoc on the home islands in 2011, Aleixo says.

Japan’s Chinooks are designated as the CH-47JA+.They have the long-range fuel tanks that come standard on the CH-47F configuration to which the US army is transitioning. The aft section, pylon and ramp are similar to the F-model.

“Some parts are the same, but I wouldn’t call it an F-model,” he says. “We are continuing to work with them to convert their fleet to full F-models.”

Japan’s aircraft are powered by the Honeywell T55-714A that come standard on the F-models, but lack some of the advanced flight control and mission package features the US army and other CH-47F operators enjoy, says Aleixo.

Boeing sees the continued business with Japan as validation that its dual-rotor Chinook is one of the world’s premier heavy-lift helicopters. The company is counting on the international market to keep its Pennsylvania production line open past 2019, when US army orders run out.

The UK, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Canada, Australia and Italy have so far signed on to buy the aircraft in the F-model configuration, which Boeing is marketing as the international variant.

Italy received the first two of its ICH-47F Chinooks in October through a similar arrangement with AgustaWestland, which serves as the prime contractor for that nation. Canada received the first of its custom CH-147s earlier in the year.

A major order is expected within weeks from India, but the deal has been in the works for years.

http://www.flightglobal.com

Airbus hélicoptères livre 3 TH-135 d'entrainement à la force d'autodéfense maritime japonaise. (Source : http://www.defensa.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14090%3Aairbus-helicopters-entrega-3-th-135-de-entrenamiento-a-la-fuerza-de-autodefensa-maritima-japonesa-&catid=64%3Arestomundo&Itemid=187 )


Photo Airbus Helicopters Japan/Chikako HIRAN).

Citation :

Japan looks to obtain AIM-120C7 air-to-air missiles

The US Defense Security Cooperation agency has notified congress about a possible sale of 17 Raytheon AIM-120C7 AMRAAM missiles to Japan.

The deal, which will be conducted under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) mechanism, is valued at $33 million, says the DSCA.

In addition to the 17 missiles, the package includes two captive air training missiles, test and support equipment, spare parts, documentation, and other elements.

The DSCA adds that Japan already uses an earlier variant of the AMRAAM, the AIM-120C5.

http://www.flightglobal.com

Citation :

Japan Approves Biggest Defense Budget Ever

Japan approved its largest-ever defense budget for the next fiscal year on Wednesday, as hawkish Prime Minister Shinzo Abe looks to strengthen surveillance of territorial waters in the face of a continuing spat with China.

For the year to March 2016, Tokyo will spend ¥4.98 trillion ($41.97 billion), the government said, indicating a budget rise for the third straight year.

"This is the largest budget ever," said a defence ministry official, adding the highest allocation previously was 4.96 trillion yen earmarked in 2002

The trend reflects Abe's wish to build a more active military, a push supporters say is in response to the raising of tensions with China, with which Tokyo is at odds over the ownership of islands in the East China Sea.

Japan is increasingly wary of Beijing, which is seen by several countries in the region as becoming aggressive over various sovereignty claims.

But detractors point to Abe's desire to bolster the military more generally, and to shrug off the shackles of pacifism.

China responded cautiously to the announcement, urging Tokyo to pay heed to the past.

"Japan's moves in its military and security policies have long drawn the attention of its Asian neighbors and of the international community. They indicate whether or not Japan can follow the path of a peaceful development," said foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei.

The premier had wanted to alter the constitution to reduce restrictions on the armed forces, but was unable to muster sufficient public support, and moved instead to reinterpret the relevant clause to allow the military to come to the aid of an ally under attack.

"We hope that the Japanese side will regard history as a mirror and follow the path of a peaceful development and play a constructive role to promote regional peace and stability."

Among items on the Japanese defence ministry's shopping list are 20 "P-1" maritime patrol aircraft, with a combined price tag of 350 billion yen.

It will also buy five V-22 Osprey — crossover aircraft, which have the manoeuverability of helicopters and the range of airplanes — along with six high-tech F-35A stealth fighters.
An Osprey aircraft is seen Nov. 14 at the US Marine's

An Osprey aircraft is seen Nov. 14 at the US Marine's Camp Futenma, Okinawa.(Photo: Toru Yamanaka/AFP)

The ministry is looking to obtain a fleet of Global Hawk drones over a five-year period, and part of the purchase will come out of this budget, officials said.

The ministry is also buying 30 units of amphibious vehicles and one E-2D airborne early-warning aircraft to be assigned to protect fringe areas, including the Nansei Shoto islands which lie between the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

The cash will also go towards the construction of one Aegis destroyer, and fund the deployment surveillance units around the southern islands of Okinawa and Amami.

Routinely butted heads

The Abe cabinet decided in late 2013 to set aside roughly ¥24.7 trillion between 2014 and 2019 to spend on kit including drones, submarines, fighter jets and amphibious vehicles, in a strategic shift towards the south and west.

Japan and China have routinely butted heads over the ownership of the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku Islands, which Beijing claims as the Diaoyus, with official Chinese ships and aircraft regularly testing Japanese forces.

Separately, Chinese naval ships and military jets are seen increasing their activities around Japan, while an unpredictable North Korea continues its missile and nuclear programs.

Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in last November, the first face-to-face encounter since each came to power, and agreed to work towards easing tensions over the sovereignty of the islands.

On Monday, defence officials from the both sides resumed talks on building a hotline, for the first time since June 2012, in an effort to avert unexpected clashes in the East China Sea, the government said.

But conservative ideologue Abe has also traveled abroad tirelessly to reinforce ties with foreign leaders, particularly those in Southeast Asia, in a bid to counter China's efforts to expand its sphere of influence.

Abe has also worked to strengthen Japan's military alliance with the United States.

The defense expenditure makes up more than five percent of Japan's general budget for the next fiscal year, which comes in at a record-high ¥96.34 trillion, up from ¥95.88 trillion the previous year.

http://www.defensenews.com

Citation :

Japan should launch second Izumo class aircraft carrier August 2015

The Izumo-class helicopter destroyer or 22DDH is a type of new helicopter carrier class being constructed for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). If Izumo-class ships were to operate fixed-wing aircraft, it would be limited to STOVL (short take-off, vertical landing) aircraft, which Japan recently acquired F-35A and a possible of F-35B.

At 250 meters (820 feet) long, and reportedly displacing 19,000 tons [empty, but 27000 loaded], the ship can carry 14 helicopters. It is the largest warship Japan has fielded since WWII, and about 50 percent bigger (in terms of displacement) than Japan’s current largest ship, the Hyuga-class helicopter destroyer.

Japan can also fly unmanned surveillance drones from these "helicopter" carriers. Japan has two of the smaller Hyūga-class helicopter destroyers.





Japan is also refurbishing Osumi-class amphibious flattops. The Ōsumi class LST is a Japanese amphibious transport dock. The class is also known as the Oosumi class. While the JMSDF describes the Ōsumi class as tank landing ships, they lack the bow doors and beaching capability traditionally associated with LSTs. Functionally, their well deck makes the Ōsumi class more like a dock landing ship (LSD).

As of 2014 there are 3 Ōsumi vessels active with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force.

http://nextbigfuture.com

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Japan Selects Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye to Improve Intel Gathering Capabilities

The Japan Ministry of Defense has selected two Northrop Grumman Corporation systems to enhance its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. Under a process known as type selection, the Japanese government chose the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft and the RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system to help maintain the country's sovereignty.

The Japan Ministry of Defense has selected two Northrop Grumman Corporation systems to enhance its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. Under a process known as type selection, the Japanese government chose the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft and the RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system to help maintain the country's sovereignty.
The U.S. Navy announced that the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye achieved Initial Operational Capability Oct. 10 2014. IOC signifies that the first operational squadron, Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 125, is manned, trained, equipped and ready to start deployment preparation. The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye joins the E-2C in providing its airborne early warning, command and control capability to the carrier strike group. (U.S. Navy photo)

Type selection identifies the capabilities and systems to be purchased to meet specific defense requirements. Following selection, the U.S. government will be asked to enter into the foreign military sale (FMS) process for these items.

"Northrop Grumman has a long history working with Japan's Air Self-Defense Force and we look forward to continuing that relationship for many years to come," said Mary Petryszyn, vice president for International, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. "We are very pleased the Japan Ministry of Defense has expressed confidence in these systems and look forward to working with our U.S. military customers through the FMS process."

Contract terms, timing and quantities of aircraft are yet to be determined and, as such, details are not available at this time.

The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is the newest variant of the E-2 aircraft platform. It features a state-of-the-art radar and upgraded aircraft systems that improve supportability and increase readiness. The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye joins the F/A-18 and EA-18G Growler to comprise the future carrier flight deck, continuing the U.S. Navy’s integrated warfighting legacy. The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, along with the E-2C, provides command and control capability to coordinate multiple missions, including air warfare, strike warfare, surface warfare and search and rescue operations. Acting as a “digital quarterback,” the E-2D scans the environment with its onboard sensors and processes this data with its tactical mission computer. It distributes the tactical picture to command centers and other assets through onboard communication subsystems. The U.S. Navy also utilizes this capability to participate in humanitarian and disaster relief operations.

http://www.navyrecognition.com

excellent choix

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Japan to reinforce SDF anti-piracy base in Djibouti for broader Middle East responses


The mission of a Self-Defense Forces base for anti-piracy operations in Djibouti is expected to be bolstered to include the dispatch of patrol aircraft and the rescue of Japanese civilians in Middle East emergencies, Defense Ministry sources said.

The ministry is considering increasing the duties assigned to the base in East Africa and making it the operational center for SDF troops in the region on the assumption that Japan will continue utilizing it on a long-term basis.

“Based on the government’s principle of ‘proactive pacifism,’ it is a natural matter of course to develop a strategy to utilize more of the SDF's lone foreign operational base,” said a senior Defense Ministry official. “From the perspectives of cooperation with the U.S. military and NATO forces and sharing terrorism-related information with these forces, it will be to Japan’s benefit to increase functions of the base.”

The plans include mobilizing light armored vehicles at the base to rescue Japanese citizens by land routes, expanding parking aprons to transport Japanese nationals by government aircraft and SDF transport planes, and sending surveillance aircraft in emergency situations, sources said.

The Defense Ministry plans to map out details of the project in conjunction with Diet deliberations on the national security framework and earmark construction and other necessary expenses in the fiscal 2016 budget.

The ministry has allocated 30 million yen ($256,100) for research expenses in the budget draft for fiscal 2015 to conduct studies on how the United States, Britain and France are utilizing their outlying bases. It will also study the construction and maintenance costs of the reinforced base in Djibouti.

The ministry sources said the strengthened Djibouti base will be Japan’s de-facto “outlying base,” and is in line with efforts by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration to enhance the role of the SDF in international efforts.

Japan opened the anti-piracy base in Djibouti in June 2011 on a 12-hectare plot it rents from the largely Islamic country adjoining Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport.

It has built a command headquarters, boarding facilities, parking apron for three P-3C maritime surveillance aircraft and a hangar to accommodate an airplane at a cost of 4.7 billion yen.

Based on the anti-piracy law, the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s air unit that operates two surveillance aircraft, comprising about 110 members, is stationed at the base on a four-month rotational basis to ensure the safe passage of passenger and commercial ships through the treacherous Gulf of Aden off Somalia.

About 70 Ground Self-Defense Force troops tasked with guarding the base are also stationed there.

High-ranking Defense Ministry and SDF officials said that they are considering allowing SDF troops to use the base for disaster relief and U.N. peacekeeping activities, in addition to anti-piracy missions.

The base is also projected to accommodate SDF troops that are dispatched from Japan in the event of emergencies and terrorism activity, and also serve as a logistics hub to transport goods to Africa and the Middle East in the event of such a need.

The government plans to stipulate the Djibouti base’s extended functions through amending the Self-Defense Forces Law and other legislation as part of its ongoing effort to review the legal framework for national security.

In addition to the SDF base, Djibouti hosts the only U.S. military base in Africa and a French base, along with troops of NATO member countries.

(This article was written by Yusuke Fukui and Sachiko Miwa.)

http://ajw.asahi.com

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New Hercules to take on heavy lifting across Pacific in 2017

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — The newest version of the Air Force’s C-130 Hercules transport is coming to Japan, where its increased cargo capacity, power and range should help in disaster relief and other missions across the Pacific, according to officials at Yokota Air Base and aircraft maker Lockheed-Martin.

“We’re looking at transitioning from our H-model (C-130s) to the (newer) J-models,” 374th Airlift Wing Vice Commander Col. Clarence Lukes Jr. said recently, adding that the C-130Js are scheduled to arrive at Yokota in 2017.

The 374th flies 14 C-130s on missions throughout the western Pacific. Aircraft from Yokota helped out after Japan’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami and Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines a year ago.
RELATED: More Stars and Stripes coverage of the Pacific pivot

The arrival of the new aircraft is in line with U.S. defense chiefs’ pledge to send their newest platforms to the Pacific as part of the Obama administration’s strategic rebalance to the region.

Larry Gallogly, Lockheed Martin air mobility programs business development director and a pilot with 30 years of experience flying “Hercs,” said Yokota will receive a stretched version that can hold two extra pallets of cargo.

“It’s not about a shiny new plane,” he said. “It’s really about the operational capability they gain with this aircraft compared to the older versions.”

Automated navigation and engineering systems mean the new aircraft needs two fewer crewmembers. More efficient composite propellers and new Rolls Royce engines provide more power, fuel efficiency and range, he said.

The C-130J can fly about 3,000 miles in windless conditions — about the same as the C-130H with external fuel tanks, Gallogly said.

“The average person, when they look at the aircraft from the outside, will notice it is a little longer (15 extra feet), and the propellers have six blades instead of four,” he said. “But you won’t notice anything more. For the crewmembers, it has the look and feel of a Herc, but when you push the throttle, you notice the power.”

The extra power allows the aircraft to climb more steeply, he said. “This is a very powerful beast, and power can make up for a lot of mistakes and get you into a lot more places.”

Other improvements make the plane more efficient in combat. For example, the cargo bay can be quickly reconfigured to handle cargo or passengers, cutting down time in hostile environments.

The propellers can be placed in “hotel mode” on the flight line — a process that disconnects them from the engines, which can be left running without kicking up dirt and debris from propeller wash, Gallogly said.

“Navigation tools such as a moving map display add to the situational awareness of the pilots,” he said. “You don’t need the navigator.”

Likewise, computers and sensors have replaced engineers. The aircraft alerts crew to mechanical faults and often fixes them automatically. At times, pilots must follow emergency checklists read by loadmasters to verify and correct issues in flight, he said.

The Air Force, which received its first C-130A Hercules in 1956, already has 200 C-130Js that have flown more than 1.2 million hours.

During their first combat deployments — to Iraq and Afghanistan in 2005 — C-130Js performed so well that they were immediately sent back to the desert, said Gallogly, who flew missions in the aircraft at the time.

“I was a skeptic at first,” he said. “I thought we were getting too fancy. I questioned the reduced crew complement for low-level flying and combat.”

The performance of the aircraft quickly erased those concerns, he said. “In Afghanistan at high altitude, the H models could get in and out of airfields, but they could only carry limited cargo — a couple of pallets at most,” Gallogly said. “The J models can go to these locations fully loaded.”

More power and cargo space mean two C-130Js can do the job of three C-130Hs. For example, two of the aircraft were able to move a Marine unit comprising 125 personnel, gear and vehicles during the 2005 deployment, he said.

“Every time these airplanes go into hostile fire, you are sending two instead of three,” Gallogly added.

Instead of exposing 18 crewmembers to a threat during a typical mission commanders need to send only eight, with flow-on effects for things like lodging and food, he said.

Lockheed Martin estimates that — due to the fuel and personnel savings — the C-130J costs 30 percent less to operate than its predecessor, Gallogly said.

Hawaii-based Pacific Forum think tank President Ralph Cossa, a former Air Force officer, said the Air Force is looking for ways to trim ballooning personnel costs.

“Any weapons system that can operate as efficiently or more efficiently with fewer people is a boon,” he said.

Cossa said that as long as the Air Force is run by fighter pilots, it will be reluctant to cut pilot positions, but that there’s probably less resistance to replacing C-130 crewmembers with automated systems.

http://www.stripes.com

Les japonais, les soldats sortent de l'eau au cours de la collaboration avec les américains des enseignements de "Iron Fist 2015", la base de l'infanterie de marine Camp Pendleton", Californie, le 28 janvier 2015.