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Japan Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Ishiba inspects MSDF vessels in apparent bid to highlight shipbuilding prowess
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba visited the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Maizuru base in Kyoto Prefecture on Sunday to inspect vessels. Ishiba also talked with officials of Japan Marine United, which builds Self-Defense Forces ships, in an apparent move to highlight his country's technological capabilities in the shipbuilding sector. Tokyo has offered cooperation in shipbuilding as a bargaining chip in its tariff negotiations with the United States. "The United States is interested in whether U.S. warships can be repaired in Japan," Ishiba said, showing a readiness to provide such assistance as part of proposed bilateral cooperation in the area of shipbuilding. "Japan has an advantage in icebreaker technologies," he stated, adding that this expertise, as well as the issue of Arctic shipping routes, will become increasingly important. On Sunday, Ishiba boarded the sophisticated Mogami-class frigate Agano and the Hyuga, a helicopter carrier, to inspect the ships for about two hours. After that, he gave a speech to MSDF members. "The current size of the SDF personnel is only 90% of the prescribed level. This is an extremely serious problem," he said. "How to secure enough crew members for MSDF ships is also a problem," he added, expressing his eagerness to improve the treatment of SDF personnel. Ishiba also had a dialogue session with members at the MSDF Maizuru District Headquarters. Japan Marine United is building an Aegis system-equipped ship for missile defense and the country's first Arctic research vessel with ice-breaking capability. After visiting the company's Maizuru shipyard, Ishiba moved to Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture, for talks with officials of construction machinery maker Komatsu.
Yomiuri Shimbun
11-05-2025
- General
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Curry Collab Between MSDF, JCG Heats Up in Maizuru
The Yomiuri Shimbun Staff members of cafe Hana present an aigake dish with curries from the destroyer Yahagi and the patrol vessel Daisen, with members of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, far left, and the Japan Coast Guard, far right. A collaboration between the Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Japan Coast Guard has been realized in the form of a gourmet dish combining curry recipes served by the two organizations. This spring, restaurants in Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture — famous for its Kaiji Curry, in which Kaiji means the MSDF — began serving Kaiho Curry devised by the Japan Coast Guard, which is called Kaiho. The dish, named aigake, allows customers to taste curries of both types at the same time and went on sale in April. Maizuru is the only municipality in Japan where both the MSDF and the JCG have important facilities. The two organizations, which have worked together for a long time, are joining forces in the area of food to contribute to the community. On April 16, a tasting event was held at the JCG's boat base on the western side of Maizuru Port. A table set up on the wharf held an aigake dish combining the curry served on JCG patrol vessel Daisen and that from MSDF destroyer Yahagi. It was prepared by Hana, a cafe in the city. Daisen's beef curry has a buttery flavor and is topped with deep-fried vegetables. Yahagi's chicken curry has a kombu seaweed and chicken broth base and also uses plenty of vegetables. In the center of the plate is rice shaped like the Maizuru Crane Bridge, a bridge that spans the port's eastern area, where the MSDF has a base. The two different curries are placed on either side of the 'bridge.' Three other types of aigake dishes were also prepared, and were enjoyed by the staff of the 8th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters and members of the MSDF Maizuru District Headquarters. The idea for Kaiho Curry was born last autumn at a meeting of three organizations, including the Maizuru Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The idea for Kaiji Curry began eight years ago, when the MSDF shared with local restaurants the recipes for its curries, originally served on Fridays at noon on its vessels and in its units. Now, 16 varieties are available. Each of the JCG patrol boats also have their own curry recipe, and locals warmed to the idea of Kaiho Curry in the hope that it could become another Maizuru specialty, since this is where MSDF and JCG members meet to work. The JCG provided four recipes, and four restaurants in the city began selling the curries in April after receiving instructions from the cooking staff of each patrol vessel and the Japan Coast Guard School. 'We hope that many people will enjoy the curries of the two organizations that serve to protect the sea and that will help revitalize the city,' said Yuji Kotani, 64, executive director of the Maizuru Chamber of Commerce and Industry, one of the organizers of the curry project. The Yomiuri Shimbun An aigake curry dish combining recipes from the MSDF 23rd Helicopter Squadron and the patrol vessel Miura, made by the restaurant Benten The Yomiuri Shimbun An aigake dish with curries from the destroyer Myoko and the Japan Coast Guard School, made by the cafe Nanako The Yomiuri Shimbun Aigake curry from the destroyer Hyuga and the patrol vessel Wakasa, made by Sebal The cooperation between the MSDF and the JCG in Maizuru deepened after an incident in 1999 when a North Korean spy ship entered Japan's territorial waters off the Noto Peninsula. They have conducted joint drills almost every year since then to deal with suspicious vessels. They have also deepened their cooperation in the area of disaster response. In 2023, they concluded the nation's first agreement in which the MSDF and the JCG worked together to restore KDDI's telecommunications infrastructure. In March 2024, they conducted a joint drill in Wakasa Bay to prepare for a 'gray zone situation,' one which cannot be immediately defined as an armed attack. An MSDF official said that the two organizations have a visible relationship with each other, with their command centers located in the same city, and emphasized that this relationship is what made the aigake curry project possible. 'I hope that, while eating aigake curry, people will think about how the JCG as the marine police and the MSDF as a self-defense organization, are protecting the sea by making the best use of their respective strengths,' said a senior Coast Guard official.
The Mainichi
05-05-2025
- General
- The Mainichi
US Marines' Iwakuni base in Japan draws 130,000 visitors to annual Friendship Day
IWAKUNI, Yamaguchi -- Aerial acrobatics and ground attractions drew some 130,000 people, according to organizers, to the annual Friendship Day festival at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni here May 4. The event featured popular aerial demonstrations including a show by the White Arrows, a team of instructor pilots from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF)'s Ozuki Air Base in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The air show also featured formation flights over the base by aircraft stationed at Iwakuni, such as the F-35C stealth fighter jet and the CMV-22 Osprey transport aircraft, deployed in 2024 as part of the U.S. Navy carrier-based aviation unit at the base. A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighter assigned to Air Station Iwakuni demonstrated midair refueling with a KC-130 tanker aircraft. In addition, the event featured demonstration flights by a MSDF US-2 search-and-rescue amphibious aircraft and an EP-3 electronic warfare and data-gathering aircraft, both belonging to the MSDF's Fleet Air Wing 31, which shares the base with the Marines. Ground displays included a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force V-22 Osprey transport aircraft. Speaking to reporters, base commander Col. Richard Rusnok said they were able to showcase the cooperative relationship between Japan and the United States.
Asahi Shimbun
24-04-2025
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
Unveiling high-tech destroyer, Japan seeks Australian buyer
The bridge of the destroyer Kumano is unveiled to the media on April 23 in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. (Mizuki Sato) As a key selling point, the Maritime Self-Defense Force's new destroyer Kumano can do more with less, at a time when naval personnel are being stretched to the limits. The MSDF touted this capability as it unveiled the Kumano to the news media at its Yokosuka Naval Base on April 23. Japan is hoping that its state-of-the-art Mogami-class frigate vessel, known as an FFM (Future Multi-mission Frigate), will find a place in the Royal Australian Navy fleet. A look aboard shows a host of high-tech features that could be attractive to an Australian Navy looking to modernize its fleet. 21ST CENTURY ON THE SEAS The interior of the Kumano differs substantially from conventional destroyers and is designed to minimize the number of crew members needed for operations. Stations such as the fire control room, telegraph room and pilot room, which were previously located separately on the ship, are now integrated in the combat information center (CIC), and all information can be viewed on a 360-degree screen. Crew members wear wristwatch-like biometric sensors to keep track of personnel positions. Equipped with a navigation system with GPS functionality, the new destroyer eliminates the need for an assistant navigator to manually draw nautical charts. Conventional destroyers require seven personnel on the bridge, but Kumano can be manned by four. JAPAN BATTLING GERMANY FOR CONTRACT Against the backdrop of the Kumano's unveiling is the Australian government announcement in February 2024 of a plan to introduce 11 new naval vessels to modernize the Royal Australian Navy. In November, the Japanese government officially announced its plan to participate in the joint development of the Australian Navy's new vessels. The Japanese government has proposed a more capable version of the MSDF's Mogami-class destroyer, by adding the performance capabilities required by Australia. Australia plans to replace its aging frigates with 11 new vessels, which are expected to cost a total of A$11.1 billion (about 1 trillion yen, or $7 billion). Three of the 11 vessels will be manufactured in the joint development countries first, and the rest will be built in Australia. Australia has named two finalists for the project, Germany and Japan. Australia will name the joint developer by the end of this fiscal year and deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2029. If the Japanese proposal is selected, it will be 'Japan's first large-scale equipment transfer project,' according to a senior Defense Ministry official. For this reason, Japan has been making a major sales push. U.S. HELP SOUGHT IN SALES PITCH According to several ministry officials, the Japanese government has sought the cooperation of the United States in pushing for Japan's proposal to be accepted by Australia, and the U.S. side is said to be willing to do so. At a Japan-U.S. defense ministerial meeting held at the end of March, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani asked U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to support the Japanese proposal. Japan is seeking the cooperation of the U.S. side because the Japanese proposal is advantageous to its close ally in that it is 'easier to mount U.S.-made missiles,' according to a senior ministry official. It is assumed that Tomahawk cruise missiles, ESSM ship-to-air missiles and Harpoon anti-ship missiles will be installed aboard. However, it is believed that many in the Australian Navy support the German proposal, which has already been introduced and is considered less expensive. REDUCTION IN PERSONNEL A HUGE PLUS The main selling point of the FFM is the 'reduction in manpower' needed to operate the vessel. The Kumano destroyer has a crew of about 90, about half that of conventional vessels. The new FFM, which Japan hopes to jointly develop with Australia, can be operated with the same 90 crew members as the Kumano. That is about 30 fewer than the 120 crew members required on German naval vessels. Driving the need for fewer personnel aboard is the manpower shortage in the MSDF, where long naval careers are shunned. The SDF has suffered a recruitment shortfall of about 20,000 personnel in recent years. The number of recruits for the SDF in fiscal 2023 dipped to a record low of 50.8 percent of the planned recruitment quota. A senior Defense Ministry official said, 'Australia's navy is also understaffed." The official said the 'reduction of manpower will be the greatest weapon in selling to Australia.' (This article was written by Mizuki Sato and Daisuke Yajima.)
Japan Times
15-04-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Japan begins work on naval patrol vessels to boost surveillance
Japan has begun construction work on the first four of a planned fleet of 12 next-generation offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) for the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF). Equipped with state-of-the-art systems, the new ships will not only allow Tokyo to step up surveillance and monitoring of its waters, but also let it do so with far smaller crews, taking into account the service's manpower issues. The Defense Ministry revealed in a recent press publication that the Japan Marine United Corp. held a keel-laying ceremony in February for the service's first four ships of the type in Yokohama after ¥35.7 billion ($249 million) were allocated in fiscal 2023, amounting to around ¥9 billion per ship. The first two OPVs are scheduled to enter the water in November while the other two will do so next March. All four are slated for delivery to the MSDF in March 2027. 'Japan is surrounded by a vast sea area, including territorial waters and exclusive economic zones — the sixth-largest in the world — and the Maritime Self-Defense Force conducts around-the-clock surveillance of ships navigating around Hokkaido, the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea and other areas,' the ministry said, adding that the new OPVs are meant to help strengthen these activities and ensure the safety of maritime traffic. In its Defense Buildup Program released in late 2022, the Defense Ministry also noted that the OPVs would conduct 'overseas deployment for security cooperation with other countries.' The new vessels will be based on a modular system, which enables customization that allows them to perform a variety of additional roles, including disaster relief. They will also be more capable than similar vessels through a combination of adaptability, sustainability and automation, according to the ministry's Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA). For instance, the agency said that the 95-meter-long and 12-meter-wide ships will require fewer personnel — around 30 — and feature autonomous navigation systems, as well as advanced equipment for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations. The ships, which are said to be easy to maintain, will also have stealth features such as a low radar cross-section design and include a multipurpose hangar and deck space for modular payloads. They will be armed with a 30mm main gun and a standard displacement of approximately 1,920 tons, according to ATLA. The beginning of OPV construction comes amid a flurry of activity by Russian but especially Chinese military and coast guard vessels around Japan, particularly near the Senkaku Islands. These uninhabited islands in the East China Sea are administered by Tokyo but are also claimed by China, which maintains an almost permanent coast guard presence near the islets. But it's unlikely that the new OPVs would directly support the Japan Coast Guard's own presence around the Senkakus as this could prompt Beijing to also deploy its navy near the disputed islands. Rather, it's likely that they could be sent to patrol other parts of Japan's far-flung southwestern islands. China, which already fields the world's largest navy, has also been extending its reach far across the Pacific, conducting naval patrols as far as Australia. The volatile security situation in the region has prompted Japan to up its game and boost its own military capabilities, including by ramping up defense spending and adopting a tougher defense posture. Last year, Tokyo lodged a strong protest with Beijing after a Chinese Navy survey ship entered Japanese territorial waters off Kagoshima Prefecture — just days following the first foray into Japanese airspace by a Chinese military aircraft. The incident, along with an uptick in Chinese aerial deployments around Japanese airspace, served as another indication that Beijing is unlikely to stop testing Japan's surveillance and response capabilities.
