Japan Defence Forum

[Aepsilons]

I want to dedicate this post to Lt. Joichi Tomonaga, a revered imperial naval air officer during the Great Pacific War.

 

[Aepsilons]

Japan begins process of E-767 AWACS upgrade

Boeing is to begin the upgrade of Japan's fleet of E-767 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft with a USD25.6 million design and production contract announced by the US Department of Defense (DoD) on 28 October.

The four aircraft, which have been in service with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) since 1998-99, will each be fitted with new systems, and three ground support facilities will also be upgraded under the programme.

Specifically, the aircraft will be equipped with updated mission computers, electronic support measures, a traffic alert and collision avoidance system, AN/APX-119 interrogator friend or foe (IFF) transponder, next-generation UPX-40 IFF, automatic identification system, and datalink upgrades.

According to the DoD, this modernisation work "will allow Japan's AWACS fleet to be more compatible with the US Air Force [Boeing E-3 Sentry] AWACS fleet baseline, and provide for greater interoperability".

The design and production work will be performed by Boeing in Washington state, and is expected to be completed by 28 February 2015. According to a US Defense and Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notification into the upgrade that was released in late 2013, the total value of the programme, including installation, is USD950 million.

This design and production contract follows an initial Mission Computing Upgrade (MCU) contract for the E-767 AWACS fleet that is set to be completed by 31 December 2014.

COMMENT

Japan is the only operator of the E-767 AWACS platform, with the other AWACS users of France, NATO, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States opting instead to utilise the 707-based E-3 airframe.

Given the existing incompatibility issues with regard to airframe support, the JASDF is keen that the mission hardware and software of its E-767 platforms remain compatible with those of the other AWACS operators in general, and with those of the United States in particular. This contract will begin the upgrade process that will go a long way towards achieving that.



Japan begins process of E-767 AWACS upgrade - IHS Jane's 360

 

[SvenSvensonov]

Japan begins process of E-767 AWACS upgrade


View attachment 152689


Boeing is to begin the upgrade of Japan's fleet of E-767 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft with a USD25.6 million design and production contract announced by the US Department of Defense (DoD) on 28 October.

The four aircraft, which have been in service with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) since 1998-99, will each be fitted with new systems, and three ground support facilities will also be upgraded under the programme.

Specifically, the aircraft will be equipped with updated mission computers, electronic support measures, a traffic alert and collision avoidance system, AN/APX-119 interrogator friend or foe (IFF) transponder, next-generation UPX-40 IFF, automatic identification system, and datalink upgrades.

According to the DoD, this modernisation work "will allow Japan's AWACS fleet to be more compatible with the US Air Force [Boeing E-3 Sentry] AWACS fleet baseline, and provide for greater interoperability".

The design and production work will be performed by Boeing in Washington state, and is expected to be completed by 28 February 2015. According to a US Defense and Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notification into the upgrade that was released in late 2013, the total value of the programme, including installation, is USD950 million.

This design and production contract follows an initial Mission Computing Upgrade (MCU) contract for the E-767 AWACS fleet that is set to be completed by 31 December 2014.

COMMENT

Japan is the only operator of the E-767 AWACS platform, with the other AWACS users of France, NATO, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States opting instead to utilise the 707-based E-3 airframe.

Given the existing incompatibility issues with regard to airframe support, the JASDF is keen that the mission hardware and software of its E-767 platforms remain compatible with those of the other AWACS operators in general, and with those of the United States in particular. This contract will begin the upgrade process that will go a long way towards achieving that.



Japan begins process of E-767 AWACS upgrade - IHS Jane's 360

Do you know if the mechanically scanned radar (PESA) will be supplemented by an AESA as seen on the E-2D of the USN. Our AWACS platforms aren't losing their mechanically scanned radars, but they are having additional sensors put on them, and in the case of the Navy's E-2D, are having another radar installed alongside the existing one!!! Still, I like that these platforms aren't being neglected because they are unique in the JSDF, nothing else offers what they can, and with the increasing amount of air and sea traffic seen in the ECS, they will only increase in their usefulness.

About the E-767's radar and sensor systems

"electronically scanned array radar system. This system is a three-dimensional radar that measures azimuth, range, and elevation simultaneously, and has superior surveillance capability over water compared to the AN/APY-1 system on the earlier E-3 models.

The AN/APY-2 is a Pulse-Doppler radar that can determine the velocity of a tracked target. This surveillance system includes a flexible, multi-mode radar, which enables AWACS to separate maritime and airborne targets from ground and sea clutter returns that limit other modern radar systems.

Its radar has a 360-degree view, and at operating altitudes it can detect targets more than 320 kilometers (200 miles) away. AWACS mission equipment can separate, manage and display these targets individually on situational displays.

AN/APY-2's antenna and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) Mk XII system's antenna are housed in the rotodome back to back.

The information acquired by the radar system is processed by IBM's CC-2E central computer conformed to E-3 Block 30/35 Modification and can be displayed on the 14 displays on board.

Other major subsystems in the E-767 are identification, tactical data link, and navigation."

Boeing E-767 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also, I'm seeing that this upgrade is for all four E-767s of the JSDF, are you aware of any additional procurement plans for more (not necessarily E-767) AWACS planes? Perhaps acquiring E-2 variants (C/D models) or modifying existing platforms?

Maybe a modification like this? Especially as the JMSDF transitions away from the P-3 and towards the P-1. Why let the older air frame go to waste when it's still useful for other tasks?

P-3 AWACS modification for the US Customs Service

That P-1 is looking nice!!!

 

[SvenSvensonov]

In more somber news

Japan's Declining Population Could Prevent It From Being A Military Counterweight To China

Japan, long one of America's most important allies in the Pacific, is a primary counterweight to the growing power of China in the region.

Japan is a cultural and economic powerhouse. But its ability to mount an effective military deterrence in the fact of a rising China may shrink in the coming decades as Japan faces a substantial problem: impending demographic collapse.

Japan's overall population is set to contract by almost a third within the next 90 years. This sharp population cut would almost irreversibly limit the nation's military capabilities.

Aki Peritz, a former CIA analyst, writes for Overt Action:

Japan currently has some 127 million citizens, but according to Japan’s National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, this number will shrink by 2060 to 86 million, and then to 50 million by the year 2100.

Neither war nor famine is halving Japan’s population, but rather hard demographics. Japan’s birth rate is currently 1.4 children per woman, and the total population has already begun to decline as of 2010.

According to Peritz, demographic decline would lead to greater competition for Japanese youth in every facet of society. As the private sector, government, and the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) would jostle for youth recruitment, fewer and fewer young Japanese would enter the military leading, shrinking the armed forces at a time when China becomes more and more assertive.

Currently, the Japanese SDF is thought to be one of the top ten most effective fighting forces in the world even though it can only be used defensively or in international humanitarian missions. However, a slow-motion cratering of the Japanese population would hamstring the country's ability to defend itself, let along project power beyond its home island chain.

To compensate for its small population, Japan has signaled it will purchase the latest in military equipment for national defense. Tokyo has plans to purchase the latest AEGIS destroyer as well as the F-35.

Still, as Peritz notes, even with the latest equipment, Japanese national security capacity will become squeezed as there would be "fewer overall high-quality recruits in both enlisted and officer corps."

Demographics aside, the Japanese public is still largely against any military policy that extends beyond self-defense.

In a 2013 Pew research poll, 56% of the Japanese public said they were opposed to any sort of Japanese military effort other than defense, although there was a gradual trend towards military action becoming more acceptable within the Japanese public.

This opposition to militarism has sometimes taken on an extreme tone. On Nov. 12, a Japanese man set himself on fire to protest Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's amending of the constitution to allow for the Japanese military to take part in collective self-defense with other countries.

The debate over what role the military should play in Japanese life, coupled with demographic changes, is likely to become a more polarizing concern. Two prominent members of Abe's Liberal Democratic Party have floated the idea of amending the constitution in order to institute conscription within Japan in an effort to bolster the ranks of the Japanese SDF.

Currently, over a third of Japan's population is at least 55 years old.

From Japan's Demographic Collapse Hurts Military - Business Insider

 

[SvenSvensonov]

In more Badass news!!!

Japanese Military Developing Mobile Powered Suit

Japan's Ministry of Defense is developing a "highly mobile powered suit" to assist soldiers' movements. It may not be the powered armor from Bubblegum Crisis, but hopefully it will go some way towards using machine power to take some of the burden off of soldiers.

Soldiers carry a lot of equipment, and it's estimated to weigh at least 40 pounds. Performing strenuous exercise and fluid movement with all that weight is hard. The Ministry of Defense's project is meant to alleviate some of the burden and keep soldiers' motions speedy and fluid. Tens of millions of yen have been invested in the project since 2012. The ministry was inspired by the recent boom in civilian power suits, and aims to accept civilian applications next year. Judging by previous robotics projects, it estimates that the project will take three years to develop. If all goes smoothly, and the finished product passes its tests, it could be part of the military's equipment by 2018.

The military powered suit will require more durability and applicability than its civilian counterparts — it'll need to be waterproof, dust-proof, operable if shot with bullets, and functional when its wearer is sitting or lying. Its estimated cost (for now) is 900 million yen (about $7.8 million).

from Japanese Military Developing Mobile Powered Suits - Interest - Anime News Network - it's a strange website to be hosting news like this, I know, but us geeks - who love anime, also tend to be very partial to geeky stuff like exoskeletons! Don't be skeptical of the source, the new is real!

 

[Aepsilons]

Japan To Focus on Atago, PAC-3 Upgrades


TOKYO — Japan’s ballistic missile defense (BMD) plans revolve around bolstering its Aegis-based fleet and upgrading its Patriot capabilities to counter a still-limited threat from North Korea.

More important, for now, is developing a limited pre-emptive strike capability to take out missile sites, which will be provided when the F-35 joint strike fighter joins the fleet.

But with a view to the future, the Ministry of Defense may consider adding a third-tier of defense with a proven system such as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, to serve as an intermediate layer between the Aegis ships and Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) systems. There also is interest in Japanese defense circles for a space-based early warning capability.

The Aegis improvements, in particular, are an outgrowth of Japan’s recent government move allowing limited collective self defense.

Under the current five-year Mid-Term Defense Plan drawn up in December, the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) will purchase two of the latest Atago-class of guided missile destroyers, with orders to be placed in 2015 and 2016 and the ships ships joining the fleet in 2020-2021.

Improvements are ongoing. For example, Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training recently announced a $53.5 million modification contract for development and test of the Japan Aegis modernization baseline computer programs and equipment to boost the capability of Atago ships DDG 177 and 178.

While the two new ships will boost the MSDF’s fleet to a nominal eight hulls, two of the oldest Hatakaze-class destroyers also will be retired. The emphasis is therefore on quality rather than quantity, said Narushige Michishita, director, Security and International Studies Program at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.

Key to the Atago class is the larger, more capable SM-3 Block IIA missile being jointly developed by Raytheon and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, with an approximate 2,500-kilometer operational range and a larger diameter kill vehicle that is more maneuverable and comes with upgraded sensors.

“The SM-3 Block IIA will be able to take care of the NK threat, but they are also quite significant because they will also have some ability to take care of missiles coming from China. It is a natural step that we are taking to modernize our old systems,” Michishita said.

At the same time, the Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) will be updating two of the six PAC-3 batteries with the more powerful missile segment enhancement interceptors. More important will be the role of some 42 F-35s, which will be deployed in small batches, and the ASDF’s purchase of three refueling tankers, which will give Japan some ability to launch pre-emptive strikes on North Korean missile sites.

“PAC-3 is seen as a sort of last-resort backup system, and with budget restraints the ASDF has very limited resources. It’s a good idea to improve the technology, not the number of batteries, but [the ASDF] is more focused on F-35,” he said.

The F-35s will play a political role in demonstrating Japan’s credibility as an alliance partner, showing its greater ability to proactively defend itself rather than just waiting for the US to come to its aid.

“Without a limited but robust pre-emptive strike ability, we would be asking the US to make all efforts on our behalf, and that would make it more politically difficult for the US,” Michishita said.

Japan’s evolving Aegis-based capabilities have to be seen in the context of Japan’s historic July 1 Cabinet decision allowing itself limited rights of collective self-defense, said Chris Hughes, professor of international politics and Japanese studies at the University of Warwick.

“One of the scenarios was the interception of missiles directed at US territory. I suppose this means Taepodong-2 targeted at Guam but perhaps beyond. I know that some Japanese defense planners privately stated that this scenario did not seem very realistic given that the US could likely fend for itself but also that even the upgraded SM-3 could not intercept anything approximating to an ICBM,” Hughes said.

“So I am not really sure if Japan’s BMD role will in practice shift that much from defending against more localized threats against Japan and US bases from North Korean and Chinese medium range ballistic missiles,” Hughes said.

For the moment, Japan faces the North Korean missile threat, based around Unha and Musudan mobile intermediate-range ballistic missiles, but these lack countermeasures. If these systems become technically more sophisticated, Japan’s next option would almost certainly be a third layer based around THAAD, Michishita said.

“If we need a three-tiered system, then THAAD is a good idea. One SM-3 Block IIA is very expensive. If we divert many resources to yet another system, then that might be a waste of money. The main thing is that the SM-3 Block IIA is credible,” he said.

One thing worrying both US and Japanese defense planners is China’s growing cruise missile threat and ship-killing missiles, such as the DF-21D. Against this, Japan already has some limited capabilities in the aging Mitsubishi AAM-4 air-to-air missile, operational since 1999.

In light of this, the MSDF may consider deploying the SM-6 and baseline 9C Aegis combat system with over-the-horizon naval integrated fire control-counter air capability in the future, Michishita said.

The MoD is also planning to mount an infrared missile detection sensor aboard an experimental reconnaissance satellite being built by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. This could allow the MoD to either establish an independent space-based early warning system or supplement the US’ evolving Space-Based Infrared System.

This move comes on top of a new space policy being drawn up that will more fully integrate military space efforts with last December’s first National Security Strategy. Following a report released by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) this August, Japan plans a wide range of new military space activities, including doubling the number of its four-satellite constellation of information-gathering satellites and supporting the US in space situational awareness.

The MoD also has been investing in low-level experimental research into space-based sensors since 2009, when Japan scrapped its 1969 commitment to “peaceful purposes only” space development, allowing it to research defensive military space development.

In a written statement to Defense News, the MoD denied it had any plans to evolve such a capability, stressing the experimental nature of the system. According to Hiroshi Imazu, chairman of the LDP’s Research Commission on Security, Japan may be interested in space-based early warning, but only if extra funds can be found.

“Some people think it’s good to procure early warning satellites. It’s very expensive and duplicates capabilities that the US has. As long as the recce satellites work, it may not make sense to duplicate systems. We can devote the same amount of money to other areas,” he said.

“In my opinion, BMD has never been just about shooting down North Korea missiles. It has always been seen as an integrated span of a system that provides protections for Japan from the Earth to space,” said Saadia Pekkanen, an expert on Japanese space policy, at the Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington.

Pekkanen said an interim report on revised US-Japan guidelines also stresses the importance of missile defense to the peace and security of Japan even when there is no armed attack against Japan. Japan has been floating the idea of having its own early warning BMD satellites for some time, she said

“Obviously Japan has a legitimate interest in monitoring potentially hostile missile launches in the Asian neighborhood. And, under the reinterpretation of collective self-defense, so does the US, as it is relying on protections from Japan in an alliance context,” she said.


Japan To Focus on Atago, PAC-3 Upgrades | Defense News | defensenews.com

 

[Aepsilons]

United States Dispatched F-22s to Japan

The Air Force sent its most advanced stealth fighter to Japan this month to fly in a training exercise aimed at deterrence and maintaining security in the region.

F-22s flew from Kadena Air Base as part of exercise Keen Sword, underway from Nov. 8 through Nov. 19, as tensions in the area have risen over maritime disputes in the South China Sea. The F-22s are from the 525th Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

Keen Sword is a bilateral exercise that has been held biennially since 1986, according to the Air Force. U.S. crews fly and train with Japan Air Self Defense Forces throughout the area.

In addition to the F-22s, Air Force rescue crews from Kadena's 33rd Rescue Squadron and Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska's, 212th Rescue Squadron trained with Japanese rescue crews at Komatsu Air Base.

About 11,000 U.S. personnel from U.S. Forces Japan, 5th Air Force, U.S. Naval Forces Japan, U.S. Army Japan and III Marine Expeditionary Force also participated in the exercise.

"Keen Sword is designed to allow [U.S. and Japan] to practice and coordinate our procedures together and interoperability in all warfare disciplines," Adm. John Alexander, commander of Battle Force 7th Fleet, said in a news release. "We'll be conducting anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, air-to-air and air defense warfare scenarios, and we'll be doing that as a combined force."


Air Force sends F-22s to Japan for deterrence exercise

 

[F-22Raptor]

United States Dispatched F-22s to Japan

View attachment 154391

The Air Force sent its most advanced stealth fighter to Japan this month to fly in a training exercise aimed at deterrence and maintaining security in the region.

F-22s flew from Kadena Air Base as part of exercise Keen Sword, underway from Nov. 8 through Nov. 19, as tensions in the area have risen over maritime disputes in the South China Sea. The F-22s are from the 525th Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

Keen Sword is a bilateral exercise that has been held biennially since 1986, according to the Air Force. U.S. crews fly and train with Japan Air Self Defense Forces throughout the area.

In addition to the F-22s, Air Force rescue crews from Kadena's 33rd Rescue Squadron and Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska's, 212th Rescue Squadron trained with Japanese rescue crews at Komatsu Air Base.

About 11,000 U.S. personnel from U.S. Forces Japan, 5th Air Force, U.S. Naval Forces Japan, U.S. Army Japan and III Marine Expeditionary Force also participated in the exercise.

"Keen Sword is designed to allow [U.S. and Japan] to practice and coordinate our procedures together and interoperability in all warfare disciplines," Adm. John Alexander, commander of Battle Force 7th Fleet, said in a news release. "We'll be conducting anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, air-to-air and air defense warfare scenarios, and we'll be doing that as a combined force."


Air Force sends F-22s to Japan for deterrence exercise

Great to hear!

 

[Nike]

that's what i called triple kills


Japan announces Global Hawk, Osprey, Hawkeye purchases
James Hardy, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
20 November 2014


Japan has announced the selection of the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk for its high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) requirement and the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey for its tilt-rotor requirement.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) also confirmed that it would buy a Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. All three requirements were announced in the fiscal year 2015 budget request.

Northrop Grumman said in a statement that it was "proud that the Japanese Ministry of Defense has selected the RQ-4 Global Hawk as the primary system to provide intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities" and confirmed that the sale would process via the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route.

Japan announces Global Hawk, Osprey, Hawkeye purchases - IHS Jane's 360

 

[F-22Raptor]

that's what i called triple kills


Japan announces Global Hawk, Osprey, Hawkeye purchases
James Hardy, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
20 November 2014


Japan has announced the selection of the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk for its high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) requirement and the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey for its tilt-rotor requirement.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) also confirmed that it would buy a Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. All three requirements were announced in the fiscal year 2015 budget request.

Northrop Grumman said in a statement that it was "proud that the Japanese Ministry of Defense has selected the RQ-4 Global Hawk as the primary system to provide intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities" and confirmed that the sale would process via the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route.

Japan announces Global Hawk, Osprey, Hawkeye purchases - IHS Jane's 360

Japans situational awareness capabilities has just received a significant boost. This will also allow for easier integration of US and Japanese forces.

 

[Aepsilons]

Japanese military taps youth culture in recruitment drive


(Reuters) - Japan's military is wooing new recruits with images of smiling soldiers posing like pop stars in a series of photo books and DVDs that tap into youth culture.

Jet pilots, navigators and sailors are among the 60 Japanese servicemen and women who pose in and out of uniform.

Video footage features a woman eating an ice-cream, another in a miniskirt, and men posing bare-chested. Uniformed personnel are pictured jumping for joy.

"I think this approach definitely helps our message to be delivered to the younger generation," Yasushi Kojima, a spokesman for Japan's maritime force, said.

The country's fast-ageing society and decreasing birth rates are a worry for military recruiters struggling to hire men and women to join the ranks of the Self-Defence Forces, which number around a quarter of a million.

Earlier this year, the armed forces roped in pop idol Haruka Shimazaki of the all-girl group AKB48 as a soft-sell recruitment draw. A bumper crop of military-themed broadcast content includes "Girls und Panzer", a popular anime TV show about schoolgirls fighting tank battles.

Reconnaissance plane pilot Nobuko Aoyama, one of 21 women starring in the "National Defence" series, said she joined the campaign hoping to raise awareness about the military.

"Japan's youth seldom recognize there is a military in this country, unless they have a family member or friends who are in the service," Aoyama said.

Over 16,000 albums have been sold since May and publisher Takeshobo is considering another print run.


Japanese military taps youth culture in recruitment drive| Reuters

 

[Aepsilons]

This is a next generation multi function destroyer (DEX) project proposals of the JMSDF.
It's often called "Japanese LCS".

 

[SvenSvensonov]

This is a next generation multi function destroyer (DEX) project proposals of the JMSDF.
It's often called "Japanese LCS".

View attachment 156005

Interesting concept drawing. I foresee several improvements, that the drawing omitted, actually showing up on the DEX prototype, or its equivalent counterpart.

First, an AESA volume search radar, the SPY-1 (and similar AESA radars) is not a targeting radar - it's a search radar. Typically volume search radars operate in the low-frequencies... such as S-band and this gives them good performance against low-visibility targets. High frequency radars tend to be for targeting and telemetry and are smaller in size, such as the radar mounted on the CWIS/SeaRAM. AESA, preferably with a GaN and not a GaAs base will be more beneficial to maximize power output. Also, AESA has the benefit of enhanced electronic attack... though older radars such as the old SPY-1 could do so as well.

Luckily for Japan they already make naval AESA radars... such as this system onboard JS Hamagiri.

Navy's Next Generation Radar Could Have Future Electronic Attack Abilities - USNI News

Second, the drawing doesn't feature a VLS system, and Japan should opt for the cold-launch method. Cold Launch minimized a ships IR profile, but increases the amount of space the VLS needs in a ship by requiring more plumbing.

If Japan really wants to emulate the US LCS, then a modular, "plug-and-play" type system would be needed to rapidly change the profile and weapons/sensor load-out of the ships.

Third, the drawing doesn't feature an aft view, but Japan should opt for high-performance pump-jets instead of the traditional screw and prop. These systems provide increased speed, maneuverability and decreased acoustic and IR signatures.

No wake for wake homing torpedoes to find, just some bubbles that rapidly dissipate.

Fourth, that mast has got to go. The trend these days is towards enclosed, high stealth masts.

Finally, a stealth gun is needed.

The concept for the DEX is great. An LCS type ship can fill the light-destroyer, frigate and cutter role.

 

[Aepsilons]

An interesting discussion:

 

[powastick]

An interesting discussion:

Watashi wa nihonjin o rikai suru koto wa dekimasen.