Largest Japanese Warship

[AiA in Atlanta]

If only the Japanese had the balls to use it:

YOKOHAMA, Japan — Japan on Tuesday unveiled its biggest warship since World War II, a huge flat-top destroyer that has raised eyebrows in China and elsewhere because it bears a strong resemblance to a conventional aircraft carrier.

The ship, which has a flight deck that is nearly 250 meters (820 feet) long, is designed to carry up to 14 helicopters. Japanese officials say it will be used in national defense – particularly in anti-submarine warfare and border-area surveillance missions – and to bolster the nation's ability to transport personnel and supplies in response to large-scale natural disasters, like the devastating earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

Though the ship – dubbed "Izumo" – has been in the works since 2009, its unveiling comes as Japan and China are locked in a dispute over several small islands located between southern Japan and Taiwan. For months, ships from both countries have been conducting patrols around the isles, called the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyutai in China.

The tensions over the islands, along with China's heavy spending on defense and military modernization, have heightened calls in Japan for beefed-up naval and air forces. China recently began operating an aircraft carrier that it refurbished after purchasing from Russia, and is reportedly moving forward with the construction of another that is domestically built.

Japan, China and Taiwan all claim the islands.

Though technically a destroyer, some experts believe the new Japanese ship could potentially be used in the future to launch fighter jets or other aircraft that have the ability to take off vertically. That would be a departure for Japan, which has one of the best equipped and best trained naval forces in the Pacific but which has not sought to build aircraft carriers of its own because of constitutional restrictions that limit its military forces to a defensive role.

Japan says it has no plans to use the ship in that manner.

The Izumo does not have catapults for launching fighters, nor does it have a "ski-jump" ramp on its flight deck for fixed-wing aircraft launches.

[Rorschach]

Got a picture?

[Chard]

Got a picture?

Here's a pickture of it. Would just direct link the picture, but this board has an incredibly gay 800pxl width limit.

That's the "It's totally not a carrier, guys! It's a Destroyer" Izumo next to a much smaller Hyuga-class helicopter destroyer. Supposedly it's only going to operate eight helicopters (She's got room for about three times that), but she's got the hanger space, fuel bunkers, deck area, and ramps for STOVL fixed-wing aircraft (Maybe as much as 12-14 Harrier IIs or same of F-35Bs if the program ever stops being a nightmare).

As far as Japan having the "balls to use it", who would they use it against? Outside of some of the weaker South-east Asian militaries they might have a chance at winning an engagement or two, but against any of the serious navies in the Pacific the JSDFN is pathetic.

[Rorschach]

[Rorschach]

Right Chard.... why would they want to go to war anyway some dumb country would just drop nuclear bombs on them again right?

I mean, after all, they are not warmongers nor do they consider themselves the Sherriff of the World.

[Chard]

Right Chard.... why would they want to go to war anyway some dumb country would just drop nuclear bombs on them again right?

That would be difficult for most. Japan has invested rather heavilly in air defense and has a signifigant ABM capability as well.

I mean, after all, they are not warmongers

The last time we let Japan play without adult supervision they helped start the most destructive war in human history. There's a damn good reason why no one ever wants to see Japan with actual offensive capability (Hence the stupid pretense of a helicopter carrier being labeled a "destroyer"), they get ideas about empire in their heads. These days the People's Republic Of China still keeps a large percentage of their nuclear deterent pointed at Japan just to make sure Nipon doesn't step out of line again.

nor do they consider themselves the Sherriff of the World.

And we've never started a world war, so what's your point?

[Chard]

Also, I just noticed what the date was. Holy Mother of Irony...

[Rorschach]

Not exactly a political topic eh AiA?

[Rorschach]

Right Chard.... why would they want to go to war anyway some dumb country would just drop nuclear bombs on them again right?

That would be difficult for most. Japan has invested rather heavilly in air defense and has a signifigant ABM capability as well.

I mean, after all, they are not warmongers

The last time we let Japan play without adult supervision they helped start the most destructive war in human history. There's a damn good reason why no one ever wants to see Japan with actual offensive capability (Hence the stupid pretense of a helicopter carrier being labeled a "destroyer"), they get ideas about empire in their heads. These days the People's Republic Of China still keeps a large percentage of their nuclear deterent pointed at Japan just to make sure Nipon doesn't step out of line again.

nor do they consider themselves the Sherriff of the World.

And we've never started a world war, so what's your point?

My point.
I think you made it.
You have no respect for other peoples.

[Chard]

You have no respect for other peoples.

1. Just now figuring that out about us? We've only been like this for the last, oh, 237 years. We learned it from the British Empire and as it turns out we're really good at it. Turns out that Australia isn't the only country that took their cues on how to be a global power to heart. As you ape us, we used to ape the British.

2. The technical term is "national security". That we apply the term with a brush the size of Alaska doesn't matter, but if someone does something we find to not be in keeping with our national security policy we have a tendency to destroy the offending party.