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Kyodo News
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Kyodo News
China fired warning shots at Japan destroyer in 2024 entry: sources
TOKYO - Chinese vessels fired at least two warning shots at a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer in July last year when it inadvertently entered Chinese territorial waters off the country's eastern province of Zhejiang despite repeated warnings, diplomatic sources said Sunday. The Suzutsuki was tasked with monitoring Chinese military drills on the high seas. The rare move by the Chinese vessels suggests the two Asian neighbors were in a touch-and-go situation that could have escalated into a conflict. The sources said the destroyer's electronic navigational chart did not show the boundary between the high seas and other countries' territorial waters because a switch was not turned on, causing the Suzutsuki to enter Chinese waters without realizing it. Tokyo and Beijing did not use their defense hotline to communicate over the incident, raising questions about the direct line's effectiveness in crisis management. In the early morning of July 4, 2024, the Suzutsuki sailed for some 20 minutes in Chinese waters, within 12 nautical miles (22 kilometers) of the coast of Zhejiang. After repeatedly urging the Japanese destroyer to change course, the Chinese vessels fired a warning shot just before the Suzutsuki entered Chinese territorial waters and another after it had crossed into the area, the sources said. One of the sources stressed the need for vessels to ensure their navigational charts display boundaries when sailing near other countries' territorial waters. The incident triggered a protest from China. Tokyo has unofficially informed Beijing that it was caused by a technical error, with the captain not aware of the destroyer's exact location, according to the sources. The MSDF later dismissed the captain for negligence. The Japanese government has not made public its findings about the incident, given that they concern operations of the Self-Defense Forces. Jun Tsuruta, associate professor of international law at Meiji Gakuin University in Tokyo, said China needs to explain whether it had a "justifiable reason" to use force, as international law grants vessels the right of innocent passage through other countries' territorial waters. China regularly sends its military and coast guard vessels into Japanese territorial waters near the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which Beijing claims and calls Diaoyu.
Yomiuri Shimbun
4 days ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan to Export Frigates to Australia: Use Joint Development to Strengthen Foundations of Defense Industry
The high-tech capabilities of a Japanese frigate, equipped with a variety of functions such as anti-ship and antiaircraft capabilities and operable by a small number of personnel, seem to have been appreciated. It is hoped that the first joint defense development project between Japan and Australia will be utilized to strengthen systems for safeguarding maritime security and foster the defense industry. The Australian government has announced that it will accept Japan's proposal regarding a new model of frigates that the Australian navy plans to introduce. The two countries will jointly develop a vessel with enhanced capabilities based on the Mogami-class frigate manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. for the Maritime Self-Defense Force. Australia plans to introduce 11 vessels with a 2030 start of operations in mind. The first three vessels will be built in Japan before construction is transferred to Australia for the remaining eight vessels. Australia narrowed down its candidates to Japanese and German manufacturers in autumn last year and since then has held discussions on which to choose. Australia ultimately chose Japan's proposal because it attached importance to such points as Japan's model being operable with a crew of 90, about half the number required for comparable conventional vessels, mainly thanks to the digitalization of instruments. The Australian military is reportedly facing a serious shortage of personnel. Australia is rushing to enhance its naval capabilities due to a sense of caution about China. In February, the Chinese military conducted live-fire training exercises in waters near Australia. China is also deepening security cooperation with Pacific island nations. The waters connecting Japan and Australia are important maritime transport routes for both countries. The waters around the small island nations can be said to be a strategically important area for Australia. China's behavior, as if it is trying to bring these waters under its influence, is unacceptable. The MSDF also plans to eventually have a total of 24 Mogami-class frigates. Use of the same vessels by Japan and Australia and improvement of mutual operational capabilities will effectively help deter China's activities. There remain issues to be resolved in the joint development plan. Australia is said to want to equip its new frigates with U.S.-made cruise missiles. This will require construction in which the hulls are modified. The Japanese side also will need to smoothly transfer technology to Australian engineers. Japan must make steady preparations for a formal contract to be concluded early next year. This is the first time Japan will export large-scale military equipment. For this reason, some may view this as a shift in the nation's postwar arms export policy, but that view is mistaken. In 1976, the Cabinet of then Prime Minister Takeo Miki decided on a de facto total ban on arms exports. Before then, Japan allowed exports in a limited manner under the Three Principles on Arms Exports established in 1967, which prohibited exports to countries such as those involved in conflicts. In 2014, the government established the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology, marking a shift toward exports with certain conditions. With an increasingly severe security environment, this is an era when it has become necessary to jointly develop equipment and deepen defense cooperation with friendly countries. (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 7, 2025)
5 days ago
- General
Japan, Britain, U.S., Others Kick Off Joint Drill in Pacific
News from Japan Society Aug 5, 2025 21:50 (JST) Tokyo, Aug. 5 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force said Tuesday that it has started a joint exercise in the Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines with navies from Britain, the United States, Australia, Spain and Norway. The drill is held in line with the dispatch of an aircraft carrier strike group led by the British Royal Navy's HMS Prince of Wales to the Indo-Pacific region, according to the MSDF. The MSDF said that it is currently arranging exercises involving British and U.S. F-35B stealth fighters landing on and taking off from the MSDF's destroyer Kaga, which is undergoing work to become a de facto aircraft carrier. An antisubmarine warfare exercise is also planned, with an MSDF submarine acting as a mock enemy. The nine-day drill through Aug. 12 is viewed as a warning against China's maritime expansion. In February, the MSDF conducted the Pacific Steller joint exercise with U.S. and French aircraft carriers. The latest drill is also joined by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington of the United States and a destroyer from the Royal Australian Navy, as well as frigates from the Spanish and Norwegian navies that are accompanying the British strike group. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Yomiuri Shimbun
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Defense Ministry Plans to Develop Laser Beam Systems to Intercept Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Deploy on Self-Defense Force Ships
The Defense Ministry plans to begin research on developing systems that use laser beams to intercept small unmanned aerial vehicles attempting to attack Japan this fiscal year. The aim is to deploy laser interceptor systems on Maritime Self-Defense Force combat ships in fiscal 2031 or later. Military experts point out the possibility that the Chinese military will carry out 'saturation attacks' using a large number of UAVs, and the ministry's objective is to enhance the MSDF's ability to counter such attacks. The ministry plans for the systems to be capable of emitting laser beams at UAVs to burn them or neutralize them by destroying their sensors. Antiaircraft missiles cost hundreds of millions of yen each and are too expensive to be used to intercept UAVs, which can be manufactured at significantly lower costs, a senior official of the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency said. If a swarm of UAVs is used in an attack, there is concern that there will be an insufficient number of missiles to intercept all the UAVs. Laser beams can be emitted in succession if electric power sources are available, and such systems can counter UAVs at lower costs. Ground-based high-power laser cannons that are currently being developed are large. Each cannon is about the size of two 12-meter-long ministry plans to downsize the new laser systems so they can be deployed on destroyers, frigates and other combat ships, and also to secure electric power sources inside the ships so the laser systems can work in conjunction with existing air defense systems. The ministry will conduct operational tests of the laser systems from fiscal 2028 to fiscal 2030. In this fiscal year's budget, the ministry earmarked about ¥18.3 billion for research and development over a five-year period until fiscal 2029. The 2025 defense white paper mentioned that China successfully conducted a swarm flight of 200 UAVs in 2018, and it noted that Japan's conventional air defense equipment will have difficulty countering such swarms. According to the ministry, 30 Chinese UAVs — including objects presumed to be UAVs — were confirmed to be flying near the Nansei Islands in fiscal 2024. Upon detection, the Air Self-Defense Force scrambled fighter jets. That figure is seven-fold compared with four in fiscal 2021. Military experts also point out the possibility that China will mass-produce UAVs for military use from now on.
Asahi Shimbun
31-07-2025
- Asahi Shimbun
Defense Ministry punishes 93 MSDF members in KHI gift scam
The Defense Ministry disciplined 93 Maritime Self-Defense Force members for decades of collusion with a leading defense contractor. Akira Saito, chief of staff of the MSDF, was among those caught in the fallout involving Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. Over a period of 40 or so years, KHI lavished the crews of submarines with gifts paid for from a slush fund based on bogus invoices to subcontractors. Also on July 30, the ministry released its final report in a year-long special investigation into the scandal. However, it failed to uncover the full extent of the cozy ties between the MSDF and KHI. Under the disciplinary measures that took effect on July 30, Saito faces a one-month reduction in pay for his failure to properly supervise subordinates. In addition, 73 supervisors and two commanding officers received reprimands, while 17 submarine captains received warnings. 40 YEARS OF MISCONDUCT The final report cited fictitious transactions between KHI and its three subcontractors based on funds earmarked by the Defense Ministry for submarine maintenance and repairs. KHI created slush funds to the tune of 1.7 billion yen ($11.4 million) through the fictitious transactions over the six years through fiscal 2023, the report said. Kawasaki used the funds to supply goods requested by submarine crew members without going through official procurement procedures. The items included vital repair materials, refrigerators and heating appliances for submarines. Separately, 13 crew members and supervisors were found to have received personal items unrelated to their duties. The goods included gaming consoles, golf equipment and wristwatches, totaling around 1.4 million yen. Most of them received items worth tens of thousands of yen, and one member received goods worth about 500,000 yen. They are all being investigated for suspected breaches to the Self-Defense Forces Personnel Ethics Law, and additional disciplinary action is being considered. The illicit gift-giving is believed to have continued for at least 40 years. The final report described it as 'a structural problem within the organization that would not be acceptable to the public.' Of the 1.7 billion yen in slush funds, about 451 million yen was paid to subcontractors, and Kawasaki itself used part of the funds to purchase personal items and beer coupons. While the specific uses of most of the funds could not be identified, the report confirmed that only a portion had been used to benefit MSDF personnel. No recent evidence was obtained for entertainment such as dining hospitality, largely due to the reduced opportunity because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the absence of receipts or objective proof. PROCEDURAL FLAWS IN PROCUREMENT The report pointed out that the root of the problem lay in slow and inefficient procurement procedures within the MSDF, which made it difficult to obtain key items in a timely manner. As a result, supervisors often resorted to having Kawasaki perform work in advance and paying later, essentially on credit, creating the ideal environment for a slush fund. To prevent a recurrence, the report proposed several reforms, such as separating the roles of order placement and acceptance inspector among supervisors, providing compliance education and improving procedures for procuring submarine equipment and personal gear. The scandal came to light in July last year following a tax audit by the Osaka Regional Taxation Bureau. In March this year, KHI was ordered to pay around 1 billion yen in taxes for hidden income and other unreported income over a six-year period.
