It doesn’t mean – This is where Japan said – which would have meant it actually happened.

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children.”
-President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1953.

I believe that the Chinese are much more interested in selling things to Japan than in invading it.

I also think that this ambassador’s comments are mainly motivated by the urge to sell weapons.

McD-D went on to develop the second-generation AV-8B. BAe was involved in the initial stages and had their own plan for a “big wing Harrier” that went nowhere. BAe then dropped out, only to rejoin the project once it was effectively finished. All AV-8Bs are manufactured in the US, British equivalents are assembled in the UK from British and American-produced parts. All other non-US 2nd gen Harriers are US made.

McD-D was bought by Boeing, but Boeing doesn’t “make” Harriers (the line is now shut down), they just stick their name on the front since the type is now their corporate property.

Japan was interested in the McD-D produced AV-8B, which meant that the US had say on whether the sale went through. Perhaps Japan could have bought British-standard Harriers, perhaps not. In any event, they never asked the British. With McD-D as the major subcontractor on those airframes as well, US approval may still have been needed.

Of course a full scale war with China is extremely unlikely but a smaller tussle (e.g. over senkaku or the disputed gas fields) is not inconceivable. In fact considering the Taiwan situation even a bigger war can not be ruled out.

The right thing to do is to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

Actually, doing some research, it seems that while originally British, there are now three makers producing Harriers, two of which are US. Very confusing. Still, Japan could buy from the UK, surely?

Only if they give it enough fuel for a round-trip this time.

The “force projection” argument is a red herring as far as I am concerned. Japan is an island nation, with a lot of spread-out territory. Without either a fixed-wing carrier (which Japan won’t have soon) or in-flight refueling capability (which Japan will have, very soon) Japan is barely able to patrol some areas of its own airspace. Certain platforms lend themselves to the policy of force projection, but they do not determine the policy. Those same platforms also lend themselves to strictly defensive uses, however I concede that a CV is overkill for Japan’s needs in that regard. Getting the 767 tankers and AWACs is more than sufficient for what the SDF needs to be able to do.

That’s a great point. Japan does have helicopter carriers, which somehow are not considered a projection of force in the same way that an aircraft carrier would be. Thus, helicopter carriers do not violate Article 9.

I don’t know the details surrounding Japan’s not getting the Harrier. Was it fully US opposition, or was there a domestic element that feared VTOL capability would violate article 9? Do you know of anything written on the subject? I’d like to read more into it.

Sort of like the Death Star.

I like the idea. (^_-)

That’s how I read it too.

Personally I think Japan should rebuild the Yamato and cruise around in it. Sort of like the Death Star.

Commanding officers were found guilty at the Tokyo Trial and were executed, and the participants who are still alive are probably all in their 90s and beyond now.

Even so, you still think China is perfectly willing to go to go to war with Japan, the United States, and anybody else who gets sucked in over it??

Wow.

What next, is France gearing up to start throwing punches at Germany again? Hell I live an hour and a half away from a reservation, maybe I better look out in case the Winnebago and/or Omaha tribe decides they’re finally ready to get some revenge against the white man too. Yikes!

However, I suspect Japan will pursue the acquisition of the F-35 Lightning to replace the F-2 FSX that has had such a troubled history. The F-35 was intended for export and JSDF would likely be allowed to buy as many as the Diet allows.

Outside of that, the only real military investment I can see Japan making is in their Navy but that is only if the US and Japan can come to terms with a true defense partnership. A partnership that has Japan stepping up more as an equal like Britain is. This would also have to allow Japan to have a much larger say in strategic defense matters. However, for this to happen I think Japan and S.Korea are going to need to have some frank talk on their relations.

I would love to see Japan owning a carrier or two. That would definitely keep the Japan/US alliance very formidable in the next couple of decades.

Russia – 40 Billion USD
South Korea – 28 Billion USD

China gets more bang for its buck on the low-tech end of the scale due to lower domestic prices, but they are still buying cheap junk. Just a lot of it. On the high-tech end, prices are pretty much the same wherever you go. China spends 4-5% of its GDP on defense, about the same level as the US, Japan under 1%. All that means is Japan has a much higher GDP.

China has no significant blue-water naval capability, no meaningful amphibious capability, and negligible ability to project air power far from its shores. So it effectively can’t move troops off its own soil, and couldn’t support any it did. Same for North Korea, even more so. Both have missiles, and that’s about it. Japan will soon have tankers and AWACs, which means they CAN project air power well outside of Japan if needed. Japan has both airlift and sealift capability, including amphibious capability.

But they have to spend more and buy “US compatible” equipment. Right.

No. Japan needs to pull a Switzerland, go neutral and have the means to enforce that neutrality and its borders.

If only at least South Korea could realise that the true fiends of Asia should be South Korea – Taiwan – Japan. Then maybe even the military of SK and JP could co-operate.