Why Japan has the best navy in Asia

Onkel Neal · 10-18-16, 09:21 PM

Why Japan has the best navy in Asia

Quote:

While China fields a larger, ever modernizing navy with huge stores of cruise missiles and land-based assets, Japan fields a trim and very capable navy.

Their Kongo class destroyers share the Aegis combat system with the US's Arleigh Burke class of destroyer, which recently proved itself off the coast of Yemen.

But perhaps the greatest advantage Japan's MSDF has over China's navy is its aircraft carriers. Its latest Izumo class "helicopter destroyer" can carry 14 helicopters and engage in advanced anti-submarine warfare as well as air assaults.

Also, Japan awaits the the F-35B, the short takeoff/ vertical landing variant of Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter, the most expensive and complex weapons system of all time.

Most notably, Japan maintains this potent force not as a traditional navy, but as a self-defense force. The force, while well rehearsed in taking islands and training with their US allies, most recently saw action after the massive earthquake that rocked Japan in 2011.

Oberon · 10-19-16, 12:02 AM

The Wehrmacht was a trim and very capable military machine too.

Still got buried under thousands of T-34s.

Quantity has a quality of its own as they say, but still...the PLAN doesn't have dominance just yet, but so long as the PRC can hold itself together against the turbulence of the economic market and its own internal social problems then time is on its side. Australia pulled out of the South China Sea patrols the other day, no doubt seeing a great deal of pressure from Beijing and honestly not knowing whether the US is going to retreat into itself or push back against Chinese expansion, and with the Philippines under the control of an unstable nutjob who seems to be happy to kick out the US and welcome in the PRC and Russia, well...I can see Japan ditching Article 9 of the constitution within a decade and then we'll see some proper flat-tops coming back.

I hope they call one of them the Akagi.

10-19-16, 12:02 AM	#2
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	The Wehrmacht was a trim and very capable military machine too. Still got buried under thousands of T-34s. Quantity has a quality of its own as they say, but still...the PLAN doesn't have dominance just yet, but so long as the PRC can hold itself together against the turbulence of the economic market and its own internal social problems then time is on its side. Australia pulled out of the South China Sea patrols the other day, no doubt seeing a great deal of pressure from Beijing and honestly not knowing whether the US is going to retreat into itself or push back against Chinese expansion, and with the Philippines under the control of an unstable nutjob who seems to be happy to kick out the US and welcome in the PRC and Russia, well...I can see Japan ditching Article 9 of the constitution within a decade and then we'll see some proper flat-tops coming back. I hope they call one of them the Akagi.