Japan: To deploy Anti-Ship missiles on Okinawa's main island to combat Chinese Navy.

(Tokyo)  Concerned about the aggressive nature of China towards small Japanese Islands which Beijing has started to drool over. The Japanese in 2015 stated it was going to deploy a Ground Self-Defence Force security unit (Around 500 men) armed with defensive weaponry to the Isle of Miyako-jima which is situated approximately halfway between  Okinawa and Taiwan.

The Japanese have decided to send the Type 12 Anti-ship missile to the Island in which to cover the immediate area. Similar to the American Harpoon the Type 12 packs nearly 500lbs of high explosives and the missile has a range just shy of 100 miles. It is also a ‘networked’ weapon, where initial and mid-course targeting can be provided by third-party platforms such as maritime patrol aircraft, ships and helicopters. Meaning that the Japanese can fire from safety and guide their weapons to target.  Resulting in a most credible area denial weapon against the Chinese navy, who didn't take that news well. Now, the Japanese have now decided to deploy the Type 12 to the main island of Okinawa around 230 miles north of Miyako-jima in which to bolster their defence there and something tells me the Chinese won't like that either.

South Sudan: Japanese troops with mandate to shoot deploy for the first time since WWII

(Juba) After its crushing defeat at the end of the Second World War, the new Japanese constitution ensured that the land of the rising sun would never ever threaten anybody again (which is why it is forbidden to own any aircraft carriers (but there are ways around that one)).

Anyway, with the rise of Chinese belligerence, where it's ever increasing military feels like it can tramp over anybody’s front yard and stick 2 fingers at anybody who complains, the people have to look at the rules that govern them and change them.

Which is why Japan is now looking at selling weapons systems to others (India/UK), has increased its military budget and this week saw Japanese troops deploy outside of Japan for the first time in 70 years. Starting yesterday (20/11/16), up to 350 Japanese Army Engineers (Sappers) arrived in the country in which to help rebuild the South Sudanese capital.

However, UN compounds and peacekeepers have increasingly come under attack in Juba and elsewhere in South Sudan, so these Japanese troops have been given a mandate to use their weapons to fight back.

Expect a complaint from China soon.

Japan: 19 disabled people murdered by former care worker who believed in euthanasia

(Sagamihara) In February 26-year-old car worker Satoshi Uematsu sent a letter to the speaker of the lower house of Japan’s parliament. In the letter, Uematsu argued that the government should permit euthanasia for disabled people, said he would be willing to carry out such killings himself, and detailed how he would do it.

“I envision a world where a person with multiple disabilities can be euthanised, with an agreement from the guardians, when it is difficult for the person to carry out household and social activities.”

Uematsu’s letter said he could “wipe out a total of 470 disabled individuals” by targeting two facilities for disabled people during the night shift, “when staffing is low”.

The authorities, on being made aware of Mr Uematsu somewhat polarised missive, sacked him from his position as a care worker for disabled people and had him committed to the local looney bin. In March he was deemed to have been healed and was let back into the general population.

Well, last night he crept into the Tsukui Yamayuri En (Tsukui Lily Garden) facility in Sagamihara, south of Tokyo, and murdered 19 disabled people whilst they slept. Afterwards he drove to the local police station and handed himself in.

Japan inducts latest helicopter carrier

(Tokyo) Japan has inaugurated its latest helicopter carrier, which is not only one of the largest ships it has ever inducted into the navy, but it looks surprisingly like an aircraft carrier, which its constitution forbids it from having. Anyway, that is besides the point as it is here, so let's have a look:

The first in class, JS Izumo DDH-183, for the Japanese Marittime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) was launched on August 6, 2013 in Yokohama, Japan. The vessels are equipped with Phased Array Radars, full battle management capabilities, and link capabilities for cooperative engagements. They are also built to embark up to 500 troops and up to fifty vehicles. Currently they are designed to operate 9 helicopters, but Japan has on order 42 F-35A aircraft and it wouldn't be that hard for them to purchase either the F-35B or C in the future. It appears that the aggressive nature of the Chinese dragon has resulted in Japan tearing up the rule book in which to rearm. Something China isn’t happy about.

For self-defence, the Izumo is equipped with a couple of  Phalanx close-in weapon systems which in a nutshell is a six barrel Gatling gun which fires around 4500 rounds a minute in the direction of any incoming attack (be it aircraft/missile or seaborne). The result being the target is shredded. This is supplemented by a couple of Sea-Ram missile systems. This uses the same radar and optical systems of the Phalanx but is linked to an 11 round RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile system which is designed to hit targets up to 11 kms away. However, the ship's armament would be a last resort as they would be escorted by any number of Japanese Aegis class destroyers which rank amongst the most modern and advanced ships in their class.

Japanese hostage Kenji Goto reportedly beheaded by ISIS

Japanese hostage #KenjiGoto reportedly beheaded by #ISIS | http://t.co/Yytub5obHu
— Fox News Video (@foxnewsvideo) January 31, 2015

Report: Israel says nine Japanese nationals have joined Islamic State

(JPost) Japan is looking into an Israeli intelligence tip according to which nine of its nationals have joined Islamic State jihadists in Iraq and Syria, according to The Japan Times.

Tokyo said that the former Israeli ambassador to Japan, Nissim Ben Shitrit, informed the current head of the Japanese air force that Jerusalem had obtained information indicating that nine Japanese nationals had enlisted into the ranks of Islamic State terrorists.

Japan increases F-35 order

(Tokyo) The threat of the Chinese dragon spreading its talons across Asia has lead to a huge increase in military spending. Only this week, the US is looking at selling arms to Vietnam. However, the richest kid on the block has not only rewritten its constitution to allow it to sell arms, it is also buying them, and today it placed orders for another 6 F-35 aircraft on top of the 12 it ordered in 2012. The purchase of these stealth aircraft is meant to replace Japan's ageing F-4 (Phantom) fleet of which it has 78, but is currently looking to replace them with 42 of the much more modern and, hopefully, capable aircraft.

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VIDEO: Tokyo Stands With Israel

They don't just support Israel in Tokyo, they come out and show it.

Japan hands over 6 Naval ships to Vietnam to help combat China

(Hanoi) Japan has said it will give Vietnam 6 Naval ships for the purpose of patrolling the South China Sea. Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida made the announcement during a visit to Hanoi.

Worth US$ 5 million, the gift comes with training and equipment to help Vietnam in its issue with recent Chinese imperialism, where China has thrown its weight about like a bully in which to grab as much territory as it can. This in turn has resulted in all the neighbours increase their defence spending and started to join together in which to combat the Chinese dragon's bullying tactics.