Not so long ago, the Japanese navy was replenished with a new ship. The destroyer Shiranui (DD-120), built at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyards in Nagasaki, was accepted into the fleet at the end of February 2019. This is the latest anti-submarine ship equipped with a COGLAG combined propulsion system, specially designed for economical and quiet running. Only two ships in the Japanese fleet are equipped with such an installation: Shiranui and its similar predecessor Asahi (DD-119), which was included in the fleet in March 2018.
The destroyer is equipped with a 32-cell Mk 41 VLS universal launcher. The destroyer's armament includes special anti-submarine missiles RUM-139 VL-ASROC and Type 07 VL-ASROC (the latter were developed and produced in Japan). There are two HOS-303 three-tube torpedo tubes. Such a ship can track down a submarine, sneak up on it and hit it with torpedoes or anti-submarine missiles. In addition, the ship has 8 Type 90 SSM anti-ship missiles.
At first glance, this is the usual news of the Japanese military, which is intensively building its navy and at the same time does not deviate from its traditions. The new destroyer is named after a World War II Japanese destroyer that sank shortly after the Battle of Leyte Gulf on October 27, 1944.
However, if one examines such news in a somewhat broader context, an interesting circumstance will emerge. Interestingly, the series of the newest Japanese warships, which have been built over the past twenty years, consist of two or four ships.
Atago-class, air defense ship with the AEGIS system, 2 units, the lead ship was laid down in 2004. Akizuku-class, air defense ship, 4 units, the lead ship was laid down in 2009. Asahi-class, anti-submarine ship, 2 units, the lead ship was laid down in 2015. Maya-class, air defense ship with the AEGIS system, 2 units, the lead ship was laid down in 2017.
In total, there are ten ships, which are almost all built and entered into the fleet, with the exception of the last series. Something very strange is the commitment of the Japanese command to a series of ships with an even number of ships, and a multiple of two. Why not three, not five, not seven ships in the series?
It is unlikely that this construction of new warships in such series is accidental. Behind this, rather, there is a certain plan associated with the creation of aircraft carrier strike groups. Shipbuilding programs in countries that are seriously preparing for a possible war, to some extent, reflect the views of the naval command about what kind of fleet they need. From this it is possible, in particular, to understand what tasks they are going to solve in the course of this probable war.
Why aircraft carrier strike groups? The fact is that the Japanese Navy already has two aircraft carriers of the Izumo class (the lead ship was laid down in 2012). Although they are officially considered helicopter carriers, they can nevertheless be based on American F-35B aircraft, with vertical take-off and landing, which turns them into fully-fledged aircraft carriers. This issue was discussed in detail in one of the previous articles, and I refer readers to it for details.
According to open publications, Japan does not yet have an F-35B for these two aircraft carriers. Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwai said in November 2018 that Japan is considering acquiring aircraft of this type and modifying ships for their use. But that means little. The Japanese may well already buy the aircraft they need and keep them at airbases in the United States, train pilots for them. Such planes can fly to Japan if necessary. The possibility of such an approach is indicated, for example, by the following fact. In Japan, they talked for a long time about considering the possibility of purchasing V-22 Osprey convertiplanes, which the Japanese public does not like very much. But recently, thanks to American military analysts, it turned out that the Japanese bought them, even repainted and applied their identification marks, but they keep them in the United States, at the New River Air Station (Jacksonville, North Carolina), and use them to train their pilots. So they may already have planes in stock.
Aircraft carriers do not operate without cover. In addition to an aircraft carrier, a typical American aircraft carrier strike group also includes: an air defense division - one or two missile cruisers with the AEGIS system, an anti-submarine defense division - 3 or 4 destroyers, a submarine division - one or two nuclear submarines, and a supply ship division. Thus, the escort of the aircraft carrier protects it from attack by enemy aircraft, surface ships and submarines.
The composition of the newest Japanese destroyers of the series listed above allows each Japanese aircraft carrier to provide such an escort: one or two air defense ships with the AEGIS system, two air defense ships and one anti-submarine ship. The submarine division can be made up of Soryu-class boats (11 units were built in total), of which two are the newest, equipped with powerful lithium-ion batteries.
A Soryu-type boat with lithium-ion batteries has also been discussed. Equipping a submarine with such batteries, which are very unsafe in a real naval battle, aroused questions and discussions. However, if we consider that boats with lithium-ion batteries are allocated to the escort of aircraft carriers, then they become eminently expedient. An escort boat has the lowest chances of being hit by depth charges of an enemy destroyer, for the simple reason that it will simply not be allowed to the aircraft carrier. The increased time spent under water and the ability to quickly recharge lithium-ion batteries significantly improve the combat capabilities of the escort submarine, especially when it will act against enemy diesel-electric submarines.
Judging by the estimated composition of the escort, the Japanese naval command is more worried about enemy aircraft, and therefore they are focusing on air defense. In the shipbuilding program, reflecting the views of the Japanese Navy command on the nature of a possible war, priority is clearly given to air defense ships.
The operating radius of Japanese aircraft carriers is unknown, but virtually unlimited (an escort usually includes a refueling tanker). But, since all probable adversaries of Japan are located in the western part of the Pacific Ocean (China, North Korea and Russia), most likely, Japanese aircraft carrier groups can prepare for operations in the waters of the South China, East China, Japan, and the Sea of Okhotsk (that is, not excluding the Kuril Islands). For operations in these seas, and does not require too large an operational radius, since the aircraft carrier strike groups for the most part will operate close to their bases.
Two aircraft carrier groups, which can include up to 28 F-35B aircraft in total, are a serious military argument that changes a lot in the balance of power in the Pacific region.
First, most likely, all this is done with the knowledge and consent of the American military command, which is well aware of the tricks with "aircraft carrying destroyers." I think that even more, Japanese aircraft carriers and their escorts already have a place in the combat schedule of the US Navy in the event of a large-scale war in the Western Pacific. The main likely enemy for the combined US-Japanese fleet is, of course, China. Using Japanese aircraft carriers, the Americans are trying to shift the balance of air forces in the Taiwan area - the site of the most likely battle between the navies and air fleets - in their favor. For example, three American aircraft carriers and two Japanese aircraft in total will give about 300 aircraft (298 aircraft, to be more precise), which already makes it possible to act on equal terms against Chinese aviation, based in this area mainly on land airfields.
Secondly, Japanese aircraft carrier strike groups may well act independently against secondary adversaries, including the Russian Pacific Fleet. The current composition of the Pacific Fleet is rather meager: the Varyag missile cruiser, one destroyer, three large anti-submarine ships, two corvettes and 12 small anti-submarine ships. With such a composition, the Pacific Fleet cannot oppose anything to the two Japanese aircraft carrier groups. The 865th Fighter Aviation Regiment on the MiG-31 can cover the bases and try to pinch the Japanese air wings, but in fact, the actions of the Pacific Fleet, if Japanese aircraft-carrying strike groups come out against them, will be extremely difficult or even impossible. This makes it possible for the Japanese army, for example, to seize the Kuril Islands.
This circumstance may now cause indignation and, in general, an attack of patriotic emotions. But overall, it seems like the time has come to pay for everything that has been done previously with the navy and aviation. The probable enemy at this time did not sleep, acted and now he has a tangible military advantage, which can be realized in suitable circumstances.
In Japan, they may deny that they have plans to create aircraft carrier strike groups. However, in my opinion, the technical possibility for their creation is already there; she appeared with the adoption of the destroyer Shiranui into the fleet. To form such groups, if necessary, only an order will be sufficient.
