After the defeat in World War II, Japan was banned from the creation of the armed forces. In 1947, the Constitution of Japan was adopted, which legally enshrined Japan's refusal to participate in military conflicts. In particular, in Chapter II, which is called "Refusal of War", it is said:
Sincerely striving for an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as the nation's sovereign right and the threat or use of military force as a means of settling international disputes. To achieve the goal indicated in the previous paragraph, land, naval and air forces, as well as other means of war, will never be created in the future. The state does not recognize the right to wage war.
The current position of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces is ambiguous. Officially, the Self-Defense Forces are a civilian (non-military) organization. The Prime Minister of Japan is in charge of the Self-Defense Forces. At this stage, the current legal status formally limits the possibilities of using the Self-Defense Forces for peacekeeping purposes and prevents their strengthening. The Self-Defense Forces do not possess ballistic missiles, nuclear weapons, marines and motorized airborne units.
In accordance with the views of the Japanese political leadership, it is necessary to change the current status of the Self-Defense Forces. This implies the abandonment of many restrictions, such as: the prohibition of the use of the Japanese armed forces in combat operations abroad, giving them the right to strike at enemy bases, the creation of a Marine Corps, the creation of an effective missile defense system. The process of transforming the Self-Defense Forces into a full-fledged army has already begun; in early 2014, the Japanese government announced its intention to form a Marine Corps unit (the initial strength of the unit was determined at 3 thousand troops). But even without that, Japan has a very large and fairly modern armed forces capable of solving many problems. It was also decided to increase "defense spending". Japan's military budget in 2014 amounted to $ 58.97 billion. For comparison: the Russian military budget in 2013 was $ 87.83 billion. Japan's military spending is legally limited to 1% of GDP, but the country's GDP is so large ($ 6 trillion is three times more than that of Russia), that even 1% of it made it possible to create a sufficiently powerful military machine.
The Japan Self-Defense Forces are recruited on a voluntary basis. Their total number is 248 thousand people, in addition, there are 56 thousand reservists. Which, in general, is not much for a country with a population of over 127 million people.
The ground forces consist of 5 regional commands (armies). They include one tank and eight infantry divisions, 21 brigades of various types. Armies are named according to their location: Northern (Hokkaido, headquarters in Sapporo), Northeastern (northern Honshu, Sendai), Eastern (eastern Honshu, Tokyo), Central (central part of Honshu, Ithaca) and Western (Kyushu, Kumamoto).
The position of the air defense system "Hawk" in the vicinity of Sapporo
The most combat-ready, according to Western military experts, is the Northern Army, which has three infantry and one tank division, an artillery brigade, a Hawk anti-aircraft missile system brigade, an engineering brigade, and other units and subunits.
SAM Hawk in position in the vicinity of Tokyo
The tank park includes 341 Type-90 tanks and 410 Type-74 tanks. In addition, the Type-10 tank, which is a lightweight version of the Type-90, begins to enter service. Currently, there are 13 Type-10 tanks in service.
Japanese tanks
There are more than 600 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, two and a half thousand guns and mortars, 99 MLRS MLRS, as well as 100 launchers for coastal anti-ship missiles Ture-88, up to 370 SAM, at least 400 MANPADS, 52 ZSU Ture-87. Army aviation is armed with 85 combat helicopters (75 AH-1S, 10 AH-64D), more than 300 reconnaissance, transport and multipurpose helicopters.
Japanese armored vehicles
Self-Defense Forces transport and medical vehicles
The basis of the combat aviation of the Air Self-Defense Forces of Japan is made up of F-15 fighters delivered from the United States and produced in the country itself under an American license. Structurally, the Japanese aircraft is similar to the F-15 fighter, but has simplified electronic warfare equipment. There are currently 153 F-15Js and 45 combat trainers F-15DJs. These are fairly efficient aircraft, but not very new (produced from 1982 to 1999).
Japanese fighters F-15J, F-2A and TCB T-4 at the Gifu airbase
The newest fighters of their own design based on the American F-16 are the F-2. This aircraft was intended primarily to replace the F-1 fighter-bomber - in the opinion of experts, an unsuccessful variation on the SEPECAT Jaguar theme with insufficient range and low combat load. Compared to the F-16, the design of the Japanese fighter used much more advanced composite materials, which ensured a decrease in the relative weight of the airframe. In general, the design of the Japanese aircraft is simpler, lighter and more technologically advanced.
Disarmed combat aircraft at the "eternal parking" of the Misawa airbase
It is armed with 61 F-2A and 14 combat training F-2B (another 18 F-2B were seriously damaged at the Matsushima airbase during the 2011 tsunami, they are now in storage, 6 vehicles are expected to be restored, and 12 decommissioned).
F-4EJ fighters at Hayakuri airbase
The Japanese Air Force retains about 70 old American Phantoms of the F-4EJ and RF-4E / EJ modifications, which are gradually being decommissioned. At the same time, the Air Force is not receiving new combat aircraft. In an unclear perspective, the purchase of 42 American F-35A fighters is expected.
TCB T-4 and MTC S-1 at Tsuiki airbase
In addition, there are 18 electronic warfare and AWACS aircraft (thirteen E-2C, four E-767, one EC-1), five tankers (four KC-767, one KC-130H), 42 transport aircraft (16 - C- 130H, 26 - C-1), more than 300 training and support aircraft.
Aircraft AWACS E-2 and helicopter CH-47 at Gifu airbase
Aircraft AWACS E-767
Disarmed combat aircraft at the "eternal parking" of the Hayakuri airbase
The number of combat aircraft of the Japanese Air Force is gradually decreasing, and their average age is very high. But one way or another, this is a powerful enough force. For comparison: the military aviation of our country in the Far East as part of the Air Force and Air Defense Command, the former 11th Army of the Air Force and Air Defense - the operational association of the Air Force of the Russian Federation, with headquarters in Khabarovsk, has no more than 350 combat aircraft, a significant part of which - not combat-ready. In terms of numbers, the Pacific Fleet's naval aviation is about three times inferior to the Japanese Navy's.
SAM "Patriot" in the Hamamatsu area
Organizationally, the Air Self-Defense Forces include air defense units armed with Patriot air defense systems. These air defense systems were replaced in the mid-90s on alert duty by another American-made air defense system - "Nike-Hercules".
Disarmed SAM "Nike-Hercules"
In total, there are about two hundred launchers of the Patriot air defense missile system of the RAK-2 and RAK-3 modifications. In addition to fighting an air enemy, they are entrusted with the task of repelling a possible missile strike from the DPRK.
FPS-XX missile attack warning radar on the island of Honshu
The layout of the air defense system (red and yellow squares and triangles) and radar (blue rhombuses) on the Japanese islands
The Japanese Navy is one of the five strongest in the world. All ships in service are built in the country itself, while their weapons are mainly American-made, or are produced in Japan under an American license. At the same time, Japan is jointly with the United States developing a ship-based missile defense system based on the "Standard" missile defense system. It is safe to say that without Japan's technological and financial support, the development of an American ship-based missile defense system would have dragged on indefinitely.
All large surface ships of the Japanese Navy are classified as destroyers, which often does not reflect their actual purpose. Among these "destroyers", besides the actual destroyers, there are aircraft carriers, cruisers and frigates.
Shirane-class helicopter destroyer in the port of Yokohama
"Destroyers-helicopter carriers" - two ships of the "Hyuga" type and one "Kurama" of the "Shirane" type (the lead ship was decommissioned in 2014 after a fire). If the Shirane destroyers are indeed helicopter carriers (already quite old), then the newest Hyuuga are light aircraft carriers in size and architecture, capable of carrying up to ten vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. However, Japan does not have such aircraft, therefore, in fact, these ships are used only as helicopter carriers. This situation may soon change if the F-35B is purchased from the United States. In this case, the Maritime Self-Defense Forces will receive ships from which it will be possible to provide effective air support to amphibious assault forces.
Japanese aircraft carriers in the Kure naval base
In addition to the existing aircraft-carrying ships, two more Izumo-class "destroyer-helicopter carriers" are under construction, one has already been launched and is being tested. These ships are practically full-fledged aircraft carriers (the length is almost 250 m), and, like any classic aircraft carrier, they almost do not have their own weapons (except for several air defense systems of direct self-defense). Building such ships for use only as helicopter carriers makes no sense.
Japanese warships in the Kure naval base
By all indications, URO cruisers are "destroyers" of the Atago type (there are two ships in the fleet) and the Congo type (four ships). They are equipped with the Aegis system and due to this they can be an integral part of the missile defense maritime component. It is planned to build two more "destroyers" of the "Atago" type.
Among the real destroyers, the most modern are ships of three types, in fact, they are three modifications of one project: two Akizuki types (two more are under construction), five Takanami types, nine Murasame types. There are also older destroyers: eight of the Asagiri type, eight of the Hatsuyuki type, and two of the Hatakadze types.
Japanese warships in the Yokosuka naval base
In addition to them, the Maritime Self-Defense Forces have six "escort destroyers" of the "Abukuma" type. These ships can be classified as frigates.
The Japanese Navy also includes six Hayabusa-class missile boats, 28 minesweepers, and three Osumi-class amphibious transport docks. The latter significantly increased the landing capabilities of the Japanese fleet, but in general they remain very limited, the Navy and the Self-Defense Forces are not yet able to conduct serious landing operations. However, ships of the Izumo class can be used as universal amphibious assault ships.
For the Marine Corps unit formed as part of the Navy, with an initial strength of 3 thousand people. it is planned to purchase AAV-7 armored amphibians and V-22 convertiplanes in the USA.
Naval aviation has 99 anti-submarine aircraft (5 P-1, 78 P-3C, 5 EP-3, 4 UP-3C), 18 transport aircraft, 3 KC-130R tankers, 69 training and support aircraft, 94 anti-submarine helicopters (41 SH-60K, 53 SH-60J), 93 transport helicopters (91 UH-60J, 2 CH-101), 14 minesweeping helicopters (5 MCH-101, 9 MH-53E).
Japanese anti-submarine aircraft R-1
The newest anti-submarine aircraft of the Japanese Navy is the Kawasaki P-1. It is intended to replace the aging Lockheed P-3 Orion aircraft in service. The first production P-1 flew on September 25, 2012. The Kawasaki P-1, along with the C-2 and ATD-X Shinshin, is one of Japan's largest military aircraft projects in recent years.
The seven search and rescue seaplanes US-1A and US-2 are unique in their kind.
US-2 amphibious aircraft and P-3C base patrol aircraft at Iwakuni airfield
Despite some legal formal restrictions, the Japan Self-Defense Forces are fairly modern and mobile armed formations equipped with the most modern weapons. They are superior in their combat power to any armed forces of the European NATO countries. It is obvious that in the context of the changing world order and the growing confrontation with the PRC, the role of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces will grow.
A number of US military facilities are located on the territory of the country on a long-term lease basis, mainly on the island of Okinawa. In particular, the 3rd US Marine Division is stationed here at Camp Butler.
The aircraft of the 5th Air Force of the US Air Force (it includes three air wings) are mainly based at Kadena airbase.
Aircraft RC-135, C-130, KC-135, F-15 at the Kadena Air Force Base, about. Okinawa
[center] American F-15 and F-22 fighters at Kadena Air Force Base
The headquarters of the commander of the US 7th Fleet is located in the Yokosuka naval base. Formations and ships of the fleet are based at the Yokosuka and Sasebo naval bases, aviation at the Atsugi, Iwakuni and Misawa airbases. The forces of the 7th Fleet regularly participate in joint exercises with the Japanese Navy.
Aircraft carrier CVN-73 "George Washington" parked in the Yokosuka naval base
American carrier-based fighters F / A-18 at the Japanese Iwakuni airbase
One Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, two Ticonderoga-class cruisers and seven Orly Burke-class destroyers of the US Navy are assigned to the Yokosuka naval base.
The Tikonderoga-class cruiser and the Orly Burke-class destroyers in the Yokosuka naval base
Russia cannot but be concerned about the strengthening of Japan's military potential and the intention of the Japanese leadership to spend more than 1% of GDP on defense. Due to the territorial proximity and the significant superiority of their navies over the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Federation, the Japanese have the opportunity to quickly capture the "disputable" South Kuril Islands. The Japanese Navy can easily organize a naval blockade of these territories. At the same time, despite a powerful fleet, the current capabilities of the Japanese armed forces in the field of amphibious operations and supply of the expeditionary corps are very limited. Japan has no chances to seize and hold large enough territories without US military assistance. Washington, which politically supports Tokyo on the "Kuril issue", has repeatedly stressed that the US-Japanese security treaty does not extend to the Kuril Islands, since Japan does not exercise real control over them. Accordingly, Japan cannot hope for military assistance from the United States in this matter.
