An F-35B fighter jet conducts takeoff and landing training aboard a JS Izumo-class aircraft carrier.
By Tai Fengshun
The Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) recently held a commissioning ceremony for the F-35B fighter jet at Nyutabaru Air Base in Miyazaki Prefecture. At present, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) has fielded five F-35B aircraft. In the future, these aircraft are expected to operate jointly with the JS Izumo (DDH-183) deployed at the Kure Naval Base, conducting island operations and maritime strike missions.
Since 2014, Japan has revised key policy documents, including the National Security Strategy (NSS) and the National Defense Program Guidelines, promoting comprehensive upgrades of its force structure. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) is building a strike-oriented fleet centered on quasi-aircraft carriers, large surface combatants and advanced conventional submarines, supported by such modern maritime offensive forces as long-range missiles, amphibious assets and unmanned systems. These moves are gradually eroding the long-standing exclusively defense-oriented principle. By shifting the JMSDF from near-seas defense toward far-seas intervention, Japan has effectively breached the constraints imposed by Article 9 of Japan's Constitution and the exclusively defense-oriented principle.
Destroyers, as the core combat assets of the JMSDF, have undergone a generational transition over the past decade, marked by the retirement of aging vessels and the commissioning of new platforms. In the field of air and missile defense, Japan continues to upgrade its Aegis-equipped destroyers. Six Aegis destroyers have completed modernization programs, integrating new radar systems and interceptor missiles to enhance detection and interception accuracy against ballistic and cruise missiles. In terms of general-purpose destroyers, Japan has prioritized the commissioning of three new classes, namely the Akizuki-class, the Asahi-class and the Mogami-class destroyers. Notably, Japan is gradually relaxing previous restrictions that barred destroyers from carrying long-range offensive weapons. Some destroyers have already acquired the capability to launch cruise missiles, thus laying the groundwork for the expansion of long-range strike capabilities.
In addition, Japan has made major advances in the field of amphibious warfare vessels. It has successively commissioned four helicopter destroyers of the Izumo-class and Hyuga-class in recent years. The Izumo-class displaces approximately 27,000 tons. After undergoing modifications, it is expected to operate 12 to 16 F-35B fighter jets, effectively transforming into a quasi-aircraft carrier. This development marks the formal acquisition of expeditionary amphibious assault and air strike capabilities of the JMSDF, signaling a decisive departure from its previous positioning as a force without aircraft carriers focused on near-seas defense.
Meanwhile, Japan is also prioritizing the development of its submarine force, seeking to build a conventional submarine fleet featuring strong stealth, precision strike, and superior endurance. The JMSDF is continuously fielding new Soryu-class and Taigei-class submarines to gradually replace the aging Oyashio-class submarines.
Additionally, Japan is procuring 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of approximately 1,500 kilometers from the US, planned for deployment onboard its Kongo-class and Maya-class Aegis destroyers. The missiles are expected to be fielded by 2026. With a range of over 1,500 kilometers, they possess strong precision-strike capabilities. In addition, Japan is developing improved Type 12 cruise missiles and next-generation anti-ship missiles, both with a strong emphasis on land-attack capabilities.
Over the past decade, the JMSDF has also prioritized the development of supporting equipment, advancing the research, development and fielding of replenishment ships, reconnaissance vessels and unmanned systems. In the field of unmanned systems, the JMSDF is progressively fielding unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and unmanned surface vessels (USVs), further refining its trinity reconnaissance system covering air, surface and underwater domains.
It can be seen that over the past decade, the equipment modernization trajectory of the JMSDF indicates a decisive shift away from a near-seas defense posture toward far-seas offensive capability. Behind this upgrade of its equipment system lies Japan's broader strategic intent to seek regional military hegemony and contain China's development.
Over the past decade, Japan has continuously advanced its military deployment in the southwestern islands, stationing equipment such as shore-to-ship missiles, air defense missiles, and radar stations on islands including Yonaguni (less than 110 kilometers from Taiwan), Miyako, and Ishigaki. Japan's upcoming submarine-launched cruise missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles will be capable of covering China's eastern coastal areas and parts of the South China Sea. Meanwhile, Japan is strengthening its capabilities to blockade key waterways, such as the Miyako Strait, during contingencies.
As a defeated nation in WWII, Japan should have been strictly restricted in the development of its military strength. However, the JMSDF's leapfrog equipment upgrade over the past decade has disrupted the military balance in East Asia and heightened the risk of regional strategic confrontation.
More alarming is that, through its JMSDF equipment development over the past decade, Japan has gradually incorporated the Taiwan Strait into its military intervention scope. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has openly made erroneous statements on the Taiwan question, hyping the narrative that "a Taiwan contingency is a Japanese contingency," thereby linking the security of the Taiwan Strait to Japan's own security. This gradually erodes the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries and signals attempts to intervene in the Taiwan question. These developments clearly show that Japan's shift in position on the Taiwan question, combined with targeted military deployments, directly affects China's core interests, further heightening tensions in the Taiwan Strait and increasing the risk of conflict in the region.
Editor's note: Originally published on thepaper.cn, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.