A few days ago it became known that Japan plans in the future to expand the areas of responsibility of its air self-defense forces and make them aerospace. The first steps in this direction will be taken next year, but they should not differ on a special scale. Then the work will continue, and the VSS will eventually evolve into the VKSS.
Latest news
The first reports about the imminent creation of new units in the VSS appeared in early August in the Japanese press. Then it was argued that the first military unit responsible for work in outer space would be created as early as next year. The formation of such a unit was then associated with the growth of the activity of the leading countries of the world in space. Tokyo does not want to lag behind foreign countries, incl. unfriendly, which leads to the need to create new divisions.
On September 17, earlier information was confirmed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. According to him, the air self-defense force can indeed be transformed into an aerospace one. The prime minister also revealed some previously unknown details of the plans.
The formation of the first "space" part of the ARIA will begin in August next year. The main task of this unit will be to monitor outer space and objects in orbits. It will also have to ensure the detection of missile launches in nearby countries.
Work on the creation of a new division, according to S. Abe, should be accompanied by legislative innovations. The Prime Minister believes that the activities and tasks of the space divisions should be included in the Japanese constitution. In this case, their existence and activity will not contradict the basic law.
Plans for 2020
A new military unit responsible for outer space will be formed in August next year. To create it in the next FY2020 defense budget. funding of 52.4 billion yen (almost $ 485 million) is envisaged. Detailed information on the structure of the planned expenditures is not published.
The new unit will be on duty in Fuchu near Tokyo. Initially, it will serve approx. 70 people. In the future, it is impossible to exclude the appearance of new facilities and the expansion of staff in accordance with the changing current requirements and building up the general potential.
Some will gain access to some existing facilities, and will also be given some new equipment. With the help of such a material part, the military will monitor the radio broadcast and detect suspicious activity of third countries. They will also have to track objects in orbits - both working satellites and space debris. The new unit will be entrusted with the operation of the existing space constellation.
In the near future, training of personnel for the future "space" unit should start. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency will be involved in the training of soldiers and officers. It is also planned to seek help from the US military.
Space self-defense
Official Tokyo revealed the most basic information about the formation of a new structure within the ARIA. On the basis of these data, it is possible to draw general conclusions about the general plans of Japan in this context for the next few years. In general, the situation looks ambiguous. On the one hand, the Self-Defense Forces will receive fundamentally new capabilities even at the level of their structure. On the other hand, any major breakthroughs in terms of capabilities and potential are not yet expected.
The main purpose of the new space unit is called monitoring the situation and detecting potentially dangerous objects and events. We are talking about the exploration of outer space and ground objects. It will also be responsible for providing satellite communications.
The creation of new structures is associated with an increase in the activity of third countries. Developed states are increasingly mastering and using orbital systems, which gives them certain advantages. Japan, despite the peaceful nature of its constitution, does not want to remain at a disadvantage and also intends to master space technologies.
Apparently, the first stage of the creation of space units, scheduled for next year, is associated with the desire to ensure monitoring of the activities of the Far Eastern countries that have strained relations with Japan. The space unit will have to track events in China and the Korean Peninsula. It is also possible to observe the corresponding regions of Russia or other countries.
Obtaining additional information about events in foreign countries will help the Japanese command to better understand the situation and optimize their own planning. The creation of its own unit will also allow again to reduce dependence on foreign allies. Currently, the Self-Defense Forces are forced to rely heavily on the United States, and the creation of their own space unit with the transfer of functions of other organizations to it will make their life to a certain extent easier.
Material part
Over the past several decades, Japanese law has severely limited the development of military space technology. Nevertheless, the Self-Defense Forces managed to create the desired constellation of spacecraft, primarily reconnaissance ones.
The creation of the reconnaissance group was carried out within the framework of the Information Gathering Satellite program, launched in 1998 after the North Korean tests of ballistic missiles. The first launch of ready-made vehicles of the IGS series took place in 2003. To date, a dozen products of different models have been sent into orbit, two more have been destroyed in an accident of the launch vehicle. Seven pieces of equipment continue to work, the rest have exhausted their resource or were lost due to accidents.
The current IGS constellation includes three optical reconnaissance vehicles and four radar carriers. All satellites are built according to different designs - from the third to the sixth generation in the IGS line. There is no detailed information on the operation of IGS satellites and their areas of activity. Apparently, they are used to monitor neighboring countries and identify their military activity.
The Self-Defense Forces have so far only one own communications satellite. Geostationary device DSN-2 or Kirameki-2 was launched in January 2017. It provides relay signals in the X-band and should simplify the work of troops in the Asia-Pacific region. The assigned resource of the satellite is 15 years.
Earlier in the Japanese media it was reported that a new generation of reconnaissance spacecraft is being created for the Self-Defense Forces. Devices of this kind may appear by 2023. Also, in the future, new military communications satellites and missile attack warning devices are expected to appear.
Due to the lack of its own spacecraft, the Self-Defense Forces have been forced to turn to outside organizations for help over the past decades. The Japanese Aerospace Research Agency renders well-known assistance to them. It also had to rely on intelligence from the United States. With the emergence of its own grouping, dependence on third-party structures has diminished, but has not completely disappeared.
From air to aerospace
The existing satellite constellation next year will be taken over by the newly created structure within the Air Self-Defense Force. ARIA will now be responsible not only for airspace, but also for space. In this regard, it is proposed to call them aerospace forces.
However, the essence of the new transformations is not in choosing the correct name for the branch of the military. For the first time in the history of the Self-Defense Forces, there will be a separate unit responsible for all work in outer space. This shows that Tokyo understands the importance of space technology for national security, and also strives to stand on a par with the leading countries of the world. How successful the actions of Japan will be - it will become known not earlier than August next year.
