By Mortz C. Ortigoza
In case war breaks in the South China Sea between the aggressor and island grabbing Mainland China versus Japan and the Philippines, the Chinese would be facing formidable defensive weaponry from the Japanese particularly.
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| Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's Soryu-class diesel-electric submarine. Photo Credit: Pakistan Defense |
As what U.S Marine Colonel Nathan Jessup (Jack Nicholson) shouted to Navy Lawyer Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee,(Tom Cruise) at the flick’s A Few Good Men:
“You can’t handle the truth!”
Can the Sinos handle the naked military truth I’m going to enumerate below? Brace yourself if you cheered for the Chinese.
In my daily radio program at Sonshine Radio, I told recently Denmark Suede, a pilot from Australia, about Japan’s insurmountable defenses in case a shooting war erupts between her and the Chinks somewhere in the disputed Senkaku Islets.
“Japan’s defense is the best model how to deter China not to jut her air force and naval juggernauts somewhere near the disputed Senkaku Islands and some parts of the Japanese sea otherwise she would be humiliated” I stressed.
Citing the news article “Five Japanese Weapons of War China Should Fear”, I and Denmark summarized by quoting the salient parts of the article written by Kyle Mizokami.
JAPAN
“Soryu-class Diesel Electric Submarines: Japan’s Soryu-class submarines, where 9 are operational while 12 are being planned, are some of the most advanced non-nuclear attack submarines in the world. Four Stirling air independent propulsion systems allow the Soryu class to remain underwater far longer than most diesel electric submarines.
The Soryu class is armed with six bow-mounted torpedo tubes, with a total of 20 Type 89 high-speed homing torpedoes and American-made Sub-Harpoon missiles.
“Are Harpoons are the same people who recruited Filipinas to be Japayukis (prostitutes, entertainers) in Japan?” jocularly asked by my tandem Harold Barcelona.
Denmark immediately told Harold that those recruiters were the Hapon. Harpoon he cited is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile system, developed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing Douglas).
Japan’s submarines could also be the delivery vehicles for cruise missiles, should the concept of preemptive strikes, currently being debated in Japanese politics, become a reality”.
Mizokami, who wrote in The Diplomat, Foreign Policy, War is Boring, and The Daily Beast, cited that Japan’s submarine fleet is particularly worrisome to China because of Beijing’s traditional weakness in anti-submarine warfare (ASW).
“Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ manufactured F-15Js: Are fighter jets that are armed with the AAM-5 infrared homing missile, similar to the American Sidewinder missile, which it replaced. Complementing it will be the AAM-4B, a medium-ranged radar-guided missile and one of the few missiles in the world with an active-array radar seeker. Active-array radar missiles, of which China has none, dramatically spike both the range and the lock-on capability of radar-guided missiles, giving the F-15J a distinct advantage over Chinese adversaries”.
Mizokami said that more than 200 F-15Js have been built. In order to keep these 30+ years old planes competitive against the new generation of Chinese fighters, a dozen a year are upgraded with new electronic countermeasures (the Mitsubishi Integrated Electronic Warfare System), forward looking infrared and infrared search and track capability.
“Atago-Class Guided Missile Destroyers: The two destroyers of the Atago class are Japan’s most capable surface combatants, floating arsenals designed to take on a variety of missions. At 10,000 tons fully loaded, the Atago destroyers weigh as much as Japan's World War II era cruisers. The U.S.-designed Aegis radar system makes it a potent mobile air defense platform, capable of shooting down aircraft and ballistic missiles”.
“Atago-class destroyers are equipped with 96 Mk.41 vertical launch missile silos, each capable of holding a single SM-2 surface to air missile, SM-3 ballistic missile interceptors, or ASROC anti-submarine rockets. Anti-ship armament consists of eight SSM-1B anti-ship missiles, roughly equivalent to the American Harpoon missile, while gun armament is in the form of one five inch gun and two Phalanx close-in weapons systems. Finally, each Atago can engage submarines with a SH-60 Seahawk helicopter and six deck-mounted Type 73 anti-submarine torpedoes”.
The Atago class is an enhanced version of the earlier Kongo class of destroyers, equipped with six more vertical launch cells and a helicopter hangar.
“Izumo-Class “Multipurpose Vessels: At 27,000 tons fully loaded and more than 800 feet long, the Izumo-class helicopter destroyers are the largest naval vessels constructed by postwar Japan. Officially a “helicopter carrier-type escort/destroyer,” Izumo was built at the Japan Marine United shipyards at Yokohama and joined the fleet in March 2015. Two Izumo destroyers will be built, with the second ship not yet named”.
Mizokami added that the Izumo class, like the previous, smaller Hyuga class, bear a strong resemblance to aircraft carriers. Izumo is touted by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) as a multi-purpose vessel. With a full length flight deck and hangar, each Izumo can accommodate and service up to 14 helicopters. Armed with SH-60 anti-submarine helicopters, each Izumo could sweep a large area of water for submarines.
Finally, it has been speculated that Japan could order a second batch of Stealth F-35 fighter bombers, this time the jump jets’ B model adopted by the U.S. Marines and Royal Navy, and operate them off its new “helicopter destroyers.” The F-35B could operate off the Izumo—and even Hyuga—destroyers
The United States Military: The Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between Japan and the United States means Japan has the most powerful military in the world backing it up.
PHILIPPINES
If the Japanese have the Soryu-class Diesel Electric Submarines, the Philippines has probably the inferior or better version of three diesel electric submarines she is going to buy in the Horizon -3 (2023-2028).
By the way, Horizon-3 is the last of the three phases of Republic Act No. 10349 (Revised AFP Modernization Program) where the early Phases are Horizon-1 (2013-2017) and Horizon-2 (2018-2022).
If the Japanese have the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ manufactured F-15Js, the Philippines have the inferior version of a squadron of South Korean made F/A-50 training cum multi-role jets and the superior squadron of 4.5 generation multi-role jets probably Sweden made, U.S $ 70 million each, Saab JAS 39 Gripen, for the Horizon -2’s shopping list that she could armed with a similar version of AAM-5 infrared homing missile and AAM-4B, a medium-ranged radar-guided missile.
“(T)hat would make us at par if not better than the air forces of our South East Asian Region’s neighbors” I wrote on my column/blog in October 30, 2015 entitled “Why PH dawdles on her defense versus China”.
If the Japanese have the Atago-Class Guided Missile Destroyers and Izumo-Class “Multipurpose Vessels, we have the inferior, at par, or better version of seven guided missile frigates, six medium range maritime patrol aircraft, three medium range ship missile systems, one naval mine system that we are going to purchase up to years 2028.
We will be having in the RAFMA six anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters, four sonobouy system, and six cube satellite systems.
The only game changer the Japanese have and the Philippines lack are the squadrons of the stealth F-35 A and B fifth generation multi-role jets.
However, just like the Japanese treaty with the Yanks, we have the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States whose defense spending lately was $640 billion versus China’s $188 billion.
In case the Americans come to our succor in a shooting war with the Chinese, expect U.S superior fire powers like those stealthy F-35s to flyby in our favor.
Are those weapons and shopping list at the RAFPMA I mentioned are going to happen?
Here’s what Congressman Romeo Acop retorted when I asked him and Congressmen Leopoldo Bataoil and Sam Pagdilao early last year that “in case Congress deliberate and fund in 2017 the multi-role jets, funds will be available in 2018, order and delivery of the brand new jets will be on 2019 or 2020, baka ubos na ang isla natin sa WPS (West Philippine Sea) in case we keep procrastinating on buying them”.
The three solons were retired police general who graduated from the Philippine Military Academy.
During my interview they were still members of the Oversight Committee of Revised AFP Modernization Program of the 16th Congress.
Acop told me that the RAFPMA already funded all the items needed by the AFP up to the end year 2028 of the Horrizon-3.
“The ball now lays on the executive department especially the new president (Rodrigo Duterte) whether he/she supports it, " he said.
(You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com)
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