Maritime warfare branch of Japan's military
"Japanese Navy" and "Maritime Self-Defense Force" redirect here. For the navy of the Japanese Empire, see
Imperial Japanese Navy
. For navies in general, see
Navy
.
Military unit
The
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
(
Japanese
:
海上自衛隊
,
Hepburn
:
Kaij? Jieitai
)
, abbreviated
JMSDF
(
海自
,
Kaiji
)
,
[5]
also simply known as the
Japanese Navy
,
[6]
is the
maritime warfare
branch of the
Japan Self-Defense Forces
, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the
Imperial Japanese Navy
(IJN) after
World War II
.
[7]
The JMSDF has a fleet of 154 ships, 346 aircraft and 50,800 personnel.
History
[
edit
]
Origin
[
edit
]
Following
Japan's defeat
in
World War II
, the
Imperial Japanese Navy
was dissolved by the
Potsdam Declaration
acceptance. Ships were disarmed, and some of them, such as the battleship
Nagato
, were taken by the Allied Powers as reparations. The remaining ships were used for repatriation of the Japanese soldiers from abroad and also for minesweeping in the area around Japan, initially under the control of the
Second Bureau of the Demobilization Ministry
.
[8]
The
minesweeping
fleet was eventually transferred to the newly formed
Maritime Safety Agency
, which helped maintain the resources and expertise of the navy.
Japan's
1947 Constitution
was drawn up after the conclusion of the war, which contained
Article 9
, which specified that "The Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes." The prevalent view in Japan is that this article allows for military forces to be kept for the purposes of self-defense. Due to
Cold War
pressures, the
United States
was also happy for Japan to provide part of its own defense, rather than have it fully rely on
American forces
.
In 1952, the
Safety Security Force
was formed within the
Maritime Safety Agency
, incorporating the minesweeping fleet and other military vessels, mainly destroyers, given by the United States. In 1954, the SSF was separated, and the JMSDF was formally created as the naval branch of the
Japan Self-Defense Forces
(JSDF), following the passage of the 1954 Self-Defense Forces Law.
The first ships in the JMSDF were former
U.S. Navy
destroyers, transferred to Japanese control in 1954. In 1956, the JMSDF received its first domestically produced destroyer since World War II,
Harukaze
. Due to the Cold War threat posed by the
Soviet Navy
's sizable and powerful submarine fleet, the JMSDF was primarily tasked with an anti-submarine role.
Post-Cold War
[
edit
]
Following the end of the
Cold War
, the role of the JMSDF has vastly changed. In 1991, after international pressure, the JMSDF dispatched four minesweepers, a fleet oiler (
JDS
Tokiwa
) and a minesweeping tender (JDS
Hayase
) to the Persian Gulf in the aftermath of the
Gulf War
, under the name of Operation Gulf Dawn, to clear mines sown by
Saddam Hussein
's defending forces.
[9]
Starting with a mission to Cambodia in 1993 when JSDF personnel were supported by
JDS
Towada
,
[9]
it has been active in a number of
UN-led peacekeeping operations
throughout Asia.
In 1993, the JMSDF commissioned its first
Aegis
-equipped destroyer,
Kong?
. It has also been active in joint naval exercises with other countries, such as the United States. The JMSDF has dispatched a number of its destroyers on a rotating schedule to the Indian Ocean in an escort role for allied vessels as part of the UN-led
Operation Enduring Freedom
.
21st century
[
edit
]
The JMSDF, along with the
Japan Coast Guard
, has also been active in preventing
North Korean
infiltrators from reaching Japan and on 22 December 2001,
engaged and sank
a North Korean
spy ship
in the
Battle of Amami-?shima
.
[10]
In 2002, the JMSDF deployed ships to the
Arabian Sea
in support of
Operation Anaconda
during the
War in Afghanistan
.
[11]
In August 2003, a new "helicopter carrier" class was ordered, the
Hy?ga
-class
helicopter destroyer
. Due to the size and features of the ship, including a full-length
flight deck
, it was classified as a
helicopter carrier
by
Lloyd's Register
? similar to the
United Kingdom
's
HMS
Ocean
. There was discussion about whether an
aircraft carrier
would be prohibited by
Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution
, since aircraft carriers are generally considered offensive weapons. The Self-Defense Forces are not allowed to possess
ICBMs
,
strategic bombers
, or attack aircraft carriers.
[12]
Historically (until about 1975 in the
U.S. Navy
) large-scale carriers were classified as "attack aircraft carriers" and the smaller carriers as "
anti-submarine aircraft carriers
". Since helicopter carriers have little built-in attack capability and they primarily fulfill defensive roles such as anti-submarine warfare, the Japanese government argues that the prohibition does not extend to helicopter carriers.
With an increase in tensions with
North Korea
following the 1993 test of the
Nodong-1
missile and the 1998 test of the Taepodong-1 missile over northern Japan, the JMSDF has increased its efforts in
air defense
. A ship-based
anti-ballistic missile
system was successfully test-fired on 18 December 2007 and has been installed on Japan's Aegis-equipped destroyers.
In November 2009, the JMSDF announced plans for a larger "helicopter carrier", the
Izumo
-class helicopter destroyer
. The first one of these ships was laid down in 2012
[13]
[14]
[15]
and was launched on 6 August 2013.
[16]
The
submarine
fleet of the JMSDF consists of some of the most technologically advanced diesel-electric submarines in the world. This is due to careful defense planning in which the submarines are routinely retired from service ahead of schedule and replaced by more advanced models.
[17]
In 2010 it was announced that the Japanese submarine fleet would be increased in size for the first time in 36 years.
[18]
After a meeting between the
Japanese Foreign Minister
Fumio Kishida
(
Second Abe Cabinet
) and U.S. Ambassador to Japan
Caroline Kennedy
on 4 March 2014, the
Japanese Defense Ministry
and
U.S. Department of Defense
announced they would hold studies for the joint development of the littoral vessel under the bilateral Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement. The vessel is planned to be a
high-speed trimaran
designed for operations in shallow coastal waters capable of carrying helicopters, possibly a lighter variant of the American 3,000-tonne (3,000-long-ton)
littoral combat ship
.
[19]
The study was conducted in response to the growth of the Chinese
People's Liberation Army Navy
and budgetary issues with the U.S. military that may affect their ability to operate in the Pacific. The J-LCS would be used to intervene during Chinese ship incursions near the
Senkaku Islands
and other contested areas in the
East China Sea
, and possibly counter similar Chinese vessels like the
Type 056 corvette
and
Type 022 missile boat
. A 1,000-tonne (980-long-ton) J-LCS with an enlarged hull could operate the
SH-60K
anti-submarine helicopter or the MCH-101 airborne mine countermeasures (AMCM) helicopter.
[19]
On May 1 2017,
JS
Izumo
was dispatched to protect a
U.S. Navy
supply vessel in the Pacific. This was the first time the JMSDF was used to defend allied vessels since the 2016 amendment to the Japanese Constitution.
[20]
Japan christened the 84 m (275 ft 7 in) long, 2,950 t (2,900-long-ton)
JS
?ry?
submarine on October 4 2018. It is Japan's first submarine powered by
lithium-ion
batteries and was developed by
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
. It was commissioned in March 2020.
[21]
Japan and the United States conducted the biggest military exercise around Japan in the biennial Keen Sword from 29 October to 2 November 2018. It included a total of 57,000 sailors, marines and airmen. 47,000 service members were from the JSDF and 10,000 from the
U.S. Armed Forces
. A naval supply ship and a frigate of the
Royal Canadian Navy
also participated. There were simulations of air combat, ballistic missile defense and amphibious landings.
[22]
On 18 December 2018, Japan announced it would refit the
Izumo
-class destroyers
to carry US-designed
F-35B
fighter jets.
[23]
This makes them
de facto
aircraft carriers
. To avoid controversy, the ruling parties call it a "multi-purpose operation destroyer". It would be the first such ship in the JMSDF since
World War II
.
[24]
On 23 May 2019, retired MSDF vice-admiral Toshiyuki Ito stated that Japan requires at least four
Izumo
-class destroyers to be viable for real naval combat operations. He said "If you only have two vessels, you can only use them for training personnel for taking off and landing operations, so this plan doesn't make sense for MSDF officers, frankly speaking." As
aircraft carriers
, the
Izumo
-class destroyers are relatively small, only able to carry approximately 10 F-35Bs, which Ito argued were too few to provide effective air defense.
[25]
In 2019, the
National Diet
of Japan approved the order of 42 STOVL Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft in addition to 135 F-35A model conventional takeoff and landing fighters for the
Japan Air Self-Defense Force
to operate from their land bases; the F-35B is same model aircraft that the US Marines operate from US Navy aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, the US Marines also plan to fly from the Japanese
Izumo
class after the STOVL modifications and refit.
[26]
On October 14 2020, the 3,000-ton submarine
Taigei
was unveiled. This is the first vessel of the
Taigei
class and the 22nd submarine vessel of the JMSDF. The
Taigei
entered service in 2022, and the second ship of the class,
Hakugei
, was commissioned in 2023.
[27]
On 30 June 2022, the
Japan Ministry of Defense
announced the construction of
12 offshore patrol vessels (OPVs)
by
Japan Marine United Corporation
(JMU) for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) at a cost of ¥ 9 billion (US$66 million) per ship. The purpose of this OPV program is to provide enhanced maritime security, particularly around the southwestern
Ryukyu Islands
, including the
disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands
in the
East China Sea
, by boosting JMSDF patrol activities in the region. These vessels are highly automated and configurable to meet a wide range of missions involving "enhanced steady-state
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance
(ISR) in the waters around Japan". Under the contract, JMU is charged with delivering the 12 vessels to the JMSDF from fiscal year 2023, which starts on April 1, 2023.
[28]
[29]
On August 31 2022, the
Japan Ministry of Defense
announced that JMSDF will operate two "
Aegis system equipped ships
" (イ?ジス?システム搭載艦 in Japanese) to replace the earlier plan of Aegis Ashore installations, commissioning one by the end of fiscal year 2027, and the other by the end of FY2028. The budget for design and other related expenses are to be submitted in the form of "item requests", without specific amounts, and the initial procurement of the lead items are expected to clear legislation by FY2023. Construction is to begin in the following year of FY2024. At 20,000 tons each, both vessels will be the largest
surface combatant
warships operated by the JMSDF, and according to
Popular Mechanics
, they will "arguably [be] the largest deployable surface warships in the world".
[30]
[31]
[32]
[33]
On 16 November 2022, the guided-missile destroyer
Maya
fired an SM-3 Block IIA missile, successfully intercepting the target outside the atmosphere in the first launch of the missile from a Japanese warship. On 18 November 2022, the
Haguro
likewise fired an SM-3 Block IB missile with a successful hit outside the atmosphere. Both test firings were conducted at the
Pacific Missile Range Facility
on
Kauai Island
, Hawaii, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy and
U.S. Missile Defense Agency
. This was the first time the two ships conducted SM-3 firings in the same time period, and the tests validated the ballistic missile defense capabilities of Japan's newest
Maya
-class destroyers
.
[34]
On 16 December 2022,
Second Kishida Reshuffled Cabinet
approved a trio of defense-related policy documents, including its new National Security Strategy (NSS or ?家安全保障?略), the strategic guideline document for the Japanese government's policies regarding diplomacy, defense, and economic security for the next decade. Based on the NSS, the National Defense Strategy (?家防衛?略) outlined Japan's defense policy goals and the means to achieve them while the Defense Buildup Program (防衛力整備計?) outlined the scale of the introduction of specific defense equipment within the budgetary objectives. According to the Defense Buildup Program, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) will increase the number of Aegis-equipped guided-missile destroyers (DDG) from the current eight to ten, as well as two Aegis system-equipped vessels (ASEV) to be deployed in ballistic missile defense (BMD) operations. By the end of the decade, the JMSDF will operate 12 ships equipped with
Aegis Weapon System
(AWS) and likewise plans to replace its fleet of older, less capable destroyers and
destroyer escorts
with
Mogami
-class frigates
.
[35]
Capabilities
[
edit
]
The JMSDF has an official strength of 50,000 personnel, but presently numbers around 50,800 active personnel.
As a result of continuing effective defense investment due to
Japan's economic development
and an end to the
Cold War
, the JMSDF became the world's fourth largest navy by total tonnage by 2000.
[36]
Japan has the eighth largest
Exclusive Economic Zone
(EEZ) in the world,
[37]
and the JMSDF is responsible for protecting this large area. As an island nation, dependent on maritime trade for the majority of its resources, including food and raw materials, maritime operations are a very important aspect of Japanese defense policy.
The JMSDF is known in particular for its
anti-submarine warfare
and
minesweeping
capabilities. Defense planners believe the most effective approach to combating hostile
submarines
entails mobilizing all available weapons, including surface combatants, submarines,
patrol planes
, and
helicopters
. They are also known to operate at least fourteen listening stations all over the country that have ELINT and marine surveillance radar warning systems.
[38]
Historically, the
Japan Air Self-Defense Force
(JASDF) has been relied on to provide air cover at sea, a role that is subordinate to the JASDF's primary mission of air defense of the home islands. Extended patrols over sea lanes are beyond the JASDF's current capabilities.
The Japanese fleet's capacity to provide ship-based
antiaircraft warfare
protection is limited by the absence of
aircraft carriers
, though its
destroyers
and
frigates
equipped with the
Aegis combat system
provide a formidable capability in antiaircraft and
antimissile warfare
. These capabilities are force multipliers, allowing force projection of Japan's sizable destroyer and frigate force far from home waters, and acquiring them is contentious considering Japan's "passive" defense policy.
Activities
[
edit
]
International activities
[
edit
]
Mission in the Indian Ocean
[
edit
]
Destroyers and combat support ships of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force were dispatched to the Indian Ocean from 2001 to 2008 to participate in OEF-MIO (Operation Enduring Freedom-Maritime Interdiction Operation).
[39]
Their mission is to prevent the marine transportation of illegal weapons and ammunition, and the drugs which fund terrorist activity. Since 2004, the JMSDF has provided ships of foreign forces with fuel for their ships and ship-based helicopters, as well as freshwater.
This was the third time Japanese military vessels had been dispatched overseas since World War II, following the deployments of mine-sweeping units during the Korean War and the Persian
Gulf War
. The law enabling the mission expired on 2 November 2007, and the operation was temporarily canceled due to a veto of a new bill authorizing the mission by the opposition-controlled upper chamber of the
Japanese Diet
.
In January 2010, the defense minister ordered the JMSDF to return from the Indian Ocean, fulfilling a government pledge to end the eight-year refueling mission. Prime Minister
Yukio Hatoyama
refused to renew the law authorizing the mission, ignoring requests from the American government for continuation. Both the Western alliance country typified by the
Royal Australian Navy
and the
Royal Danish Navy
, doing friendship activities in the Indian Ocean.
[40]
Mission in Somalia
[
edit
]
In May 2010, Japan announced its intention to build a permanent naval base in
Djibouti
, from which it will conduct operations to protect merchant shipping from
Somali pirates
.
[41]
Military exercises and exchanges
[
edit
]
The JMSDF and the
U.S. Navy
frequently carry out joint exercises and "U.S. Navy officials have claimed that they have a closer daily relationship with the JMSDF than any other navy in the world".
[42]
The JMSDF participates in
RIMPAC
, the annual multi-national military exercise near Hawaii that has been hosted by the U.S. Navy since 1980. The JMSDF dispatched a ship to the Russian
Vladivostok
harbor in July 1996 to participate in the
Russian Navy
's 300th Anniversary Naval Review. In return,
Admiral Vinogradov
, an
Udaloy
-class destroyer
, called at
Tokyo Bay
in June 1997. The JMSDF has also conducted joint naval exercises with the
Indian Navy
.
- RIMPAC
: Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force participated in RIMPAC after 1980.
- Pacific Shield (
PSI
): The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has participated in Pacific Shield after 2004; and in 2007, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force hosted the exercise.
- Pacific Reach: The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has participated in the bi-annual submarine rescue exercise since 2000. In 2002, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force hosted the exercise.
- Navy to Navy Talks: The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force holds regular naval conferences with its counterparts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
- AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense
FTM: The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has participated in the FTM after
FTM-10
. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force carried out
JFTM-1
in December 2007.
- The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force participates in the United States Navy's Personnel Exchange Program (PEP) in which officers and enlisted personnel from each country serve fully integrated into the other country's navy for two years.
- Keen Sword is the biggest biennial military exercise around Japan. The participants are primarily Japan and the United States.
JMSDF Aegis Afloat
[
edit
]
Operational concept
[
edit
]
On 16 December 2022, the
Japanese Cabinet
approved a trio of defense-related policy documents, including its new National Security Strategy (NSS or ?家安全保障?略), the strategic guideline document for the Japanese government's policies regarding diplomacy, defense, and economic security for the next decade. Based on the NSS, the National Defense Strategy (NDS or ?家防衛?略) document outlined Japan's defense policy goals and the means to achieve them while the Defense Buildup Program (DBP or 防衛力整備計?) document outlined the scale of the introduction of specific defense equipment within the budgetary objectives. According to the Defense Buildup Program document, the JMSDF will increase the number of Aegis-equipped guided-missile destroyers (DDG) from the current 8 to 10 warships, as well as the introduction of two Aegis system-equipped vessels (ASEV) to be deployed in ballistic missile defense (BMD) operations. By the end of the decade, the JMSDF will operate 12 ships equipped with
Aegis Weapon System
(AWS) and likewise plans to replace its fleet of older, less capable destroyers and
destroyer escorts
with
Mogami
-class frigates
.
[43]
[44]
[45]
[46]
On 23 December 2022, the Japanese Ministry of Defense's 2023 budget and program guidance documented provided examples of operations (運用の一例) for the Aegis-equipped naval forces of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (MSDF). The two ASEV warship would be exclusively tasked for dedicated ballistic missile defense (BDM) missions (BMD等) and operate off the Korean peninsula in the
Sea of Japan
, allowing the other Aegis guided-missile destroyers to meet other contingencies (侵攻阻止) while operating independently to maintain the
maritime domain awareness
(MDA) and keep the
sea lines of communication
(SLOC) open in the
East China Sea
southwest of the Japanese home islands (
pictured
).
[47]
[48]
[49]
BMD exercises
[
edit
]
On 6 October 2022, five warships from the United States, Japan, and South Korea held a multilateral ballistic missile defense exercise in the
Sea of Japan
(
pictured
) as part of the military response to
ongoing North Korean intermediate-range ballistic missile tests over the Japanese home islands
.
[50]
[51]
On 16 November 2022, the guided-missile destroyer
Maya
fired an SM-3 Block IIA missile, successfully intercepting the target outside the atmosphere in the first launch of the missile from a Japanese warship. Two days later, the
Haguro
fired an SM-3 Block IB missile with a successful hit outside the atmosphere. Both test firings were conducted at the U.S.
Pacific Missile Range Facility
on
Kauai Island
, Hawaii, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy and
U.S. Missile Defense Agency
. This was the first time the two ships conducted SM-3 firings in the same time period, and the tests validated the ballistic missile defense capabilities of Japan's newest
Maya
-class destroyers
.
[52]
[53]
On 22 February 2023, five warships from the United States, Japan, and South Korea held a multilateral ballistic missile defense exercise in the
Sea of Japan
in response to the launch of a North Korean
Hwasong-15
ballistic missile on 18 February 2023, landing in
Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ)
in the Sea of Japan, in an area 125 miles west of the island of
?shima
, which lies 30 miles (48 km) west of the main island of
Hokkaido
. Two additional IBCBMs were subsequently launched on 20 February 2023, with both landing in the Sea of Japan off the east coast of the
Korean Peninsula
.
[54]
On 19 December 2023, United States, Japan, and South Korea announced the activation of a real-time North Korea missile warning system as well as jointly established a multi-year trilateral exercise plan in response to North Korea's continued ballistic missile launches.
[55]
[56]
Equipment
[
edit
]
Ships and submarines
[
edit
]
The
ship prefix
JDS
(Japanese Defense Ship) was used until 2008, at which time JMSDF ships started using the prefix
JS
(Japanese Ship) to reflect the upgrade of the Japanese Defense Agency to the
Ministry of Defense
. As of 2014
[update]
, the JMSDF operates a total of 124 ships, excluding minor auxiliary vessels. This includes: two multi-purpose operation destroyers (de facto
aircraft carriers
), two
helicopter carriers
(
called
helicopter destroyers
), 26
destroyers
, 10 small destroyers (
or
frigates
), six
destroyer escorts
(
or
corvettes
), 22
attack submarines
, 29
mine countermeasure vessels
, six
patrol vessels
, three
landing ship tanks
, eight training vessels and a fleet of various
auxiliary ships
.
[
citation needed
]
The fleet has a total displacement of approximately 624,000 tonnes, excluding auxiliary vessels.
Aircraft
[
edit
]
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force aviation maintains a large naval air force, including 201 fixed-wing aircraft and 145 helicopters. Most of these aircraft are used in anti-submarine warfare operations.
Organization, formations and structure
[
edit
]
The JMSDF is commanded by the Chief of the Maritime Staff. Its structure consists of the Maritime Staff Office, the Self Defense Fleet, five regional district commands, the air-training squadron and various support units, such as hospitals and schools. The Maritime Staff Office, located in Tokyo, serves the Chief of Staff in commanding and supervising the force.
The Self-Defense Fleet, headquartered at
Yokosuka
, consists of the JMSDF's military shipping. It is composed of Fleet Escort Force, based in
Yokosuka
,
Sasebo
,
Maizuru
and
Kure
, the
Fleet Air Force
headquartered at
Atsugi
, the
Fleet Submarine Force
based at Yokosuka and Kure, the Mine Warfare Force based at Yokosuka and the Fleet Training Command at Yokosuka.
[57]
In March 2018,
Ryoko Azuma
became the first female squadron commander in the JMSDF. Her unit includes the flagship
Izumo
, the largest warship in the JMSDF. She commands four warships making up a division with a total of 1,000 crew members.
[58]
Each Escort Flotilla is formed as a fleet of eight destroyers and eight on-board helicopters. Each force is composed of one helicopter destroyer (DDH) acting as a command ship, two guided-missile destroyers (DDG) and five standard or ASW destroyers (DD). The JMSDF is planning to reorganize the respective Escort Flotillas into a DDH group and DDG group, enabling faster overseas deployments.
District Forces
[
edit
]
Five district units act in concert with the fleet to guard the waters of their jurisdictions and provide shore-based support. Each district is home to a major JMSDF base and its supporting personnel and staff. Each district is home to one or two regional escort squadrons, composed of two to three destroyers or destroyer escorts (DE). The destroyers tend to be of older classes, mainly former escort force ships. The destroyer escorts tend to be purpose built vessels. Each district has a number of minesweeping ships.
Fleet Air Force
[
edit
]
The Fleet Air Force is tasked with patrol, ASW and rescue tasks. It is composed primarily of 7 aviation groups. Prominent bases are maintained at
Kanoya
,
Hachinohe
,
Atsugi
,
Naha
,
Tateyama
,
Omura
and
Iwakuni
. The Fleet Air Force is built up mainly with patrol aircraft such as the
Lockheed P-3 Orion
, rescue aircraft such as the
US-1A
and helicopters such as the
SH-60J
. In the JMSDF, helicopters deployed to each escort force are actually members of Fleet Air Force squadrons based on land.
Special Forces
[
edit
]
Special Forces units consist of the following:
Ranks
[
edit
]
Commissioned officer ranks
[
edit
]
The rank insignia of
commissioned officers
.
Other ranks
[
edit
]
The rank insignia of
non-commissioned officers
and
enlisted personnel
.
Culture and traditions
[
edit
]
Music and traditions
[
edit
]
The JMSDF has maintained some historic links with the
Imperial Japanese Navy
.
[
citation needed
]
Today's JMSDF continues to use the same martial songs, naval flags, signs, and technical terms as the IJN.
[
citation needed
]
The JMSDF still uses the Warship March, the old service march of the IJN, as its official service march.
[
citation needed
]
It also maintains the IJN
bugle calls
tradition, as every ship and shore establishment command maintain a platoon or squad of
bugle
players.
[
citation needed
]
Flag and insignia
[
edit
]
The
Imperial Japanese Navy
first adopted the
off-set
naval ensign
Jy?rokuj?-Kyokujitsu-ki
(
十六?旭日旗
)
on May 15, 1870, and it was used until the end of World War II in 1945. On June 30, 1954, when the
JSDF
was established, the JSDF and
JGSDF
adopted a different
rising sun flag
with 8-rays and an 8:9 ratio.
[60]
[61]
The old off-set navy flag with the sun and 16 rays was re-adopted as the ensign of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, but it was modified with a brighter red color. The original flag is darker red (
RGB
#b12d3d) while the post-WW2 version is brighter red (RGB #bd0029).
[60]
Food
[
edit
]
Curry
was brought to Japan from
India
by the
Royal Navy
.
[62]
The
Imperial Japanese Navy
adopted curry to prevent
beriberi
.
[62]
The recipe of
Japanese curry
was gradually arranged in Japan by chefs.
[63]
It is also an excellent recipe, nutritious, easy to cook in mass quantity, and reportedly delicious.
[63]
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force continues this tradition with curry as the Friday menu.
[62]
Japanese curry was changed and adapted drastically to become a uniquely Japanese dish.
[64]
Ship names
[
edit
]
The ship prefix
JDS
(Japanese Defense Ship) was used until 2008, at which time JMSDF ships started using the prefix
JS
(Japanese Ship) to reflect the upgrade of the Japanese Defense Agency to the Ministry of Defense.
[
citation needed
]
Ships of the JMSDF, known as
Japan Ships
(
自衛艦
; Ji'ei-Kan), are classified according to the following criteria:
The classification and the naming convention of Japanese ships
Class
|
Type
|
Symbol
|
Building #
|
#
|
Naming
|
Major class
|
Minor class
|
Combatant Ship
|
Principle Surface
Combatants
|
Destroyer
|
DD
|
1601-
|
101-
|
Names of natural phenomena in the heavens or the atmosphere, mountains, rivers or regions
|
Destroyer escort
|
DE
|
1201-
|
201-
|
Destroyer, Guided Missile
|
DDG
|
|
173-
|
Names of places in Japan, such as mountains and provinces
|
Destroyer, Helicopter
|
DDH
|
|
141-
181-
|
Submarine
|
Submarine
|
SS
|
8001-
|
501-
|
Names of natural phenomena in the ocean or maritime animals
|
Mine Warfare Ship
|
Minesweeper Ocean
|
MSO
|
201-
|
301-
|
Names of islands, straits, channels or one that added a number to the type
|
Minesweeper Coast
|
MSC
|
301-
|
601-
|
Minesweeping Controller
|
MCL
|
-
|
721-
|
Minesweeper Tender
|
MST
|
462-
|
461-
|
Patrol Combatant Craft
|
Patrol Guided Missile Boat
|
PG
|
821-
|
821-
|
Names of birds, grass or one that added a number to the type
|
Patrol Boat
|
PB
|
921-
|
901-
|
Amphibious Ship
|
Landing Ship, Tank
|
LST
|
4101-
|
4001-
|
Names of peninsulas, capes or one that added a number to the type
|
Landing Ship Utility
|
LSU
|
4171-
|
4171-
|
Landing Craft Utility
|
LCU
|
2001?
|
2001?
|
Landing Craft Air Cushioned
|
LCAC
|
-
|
2001?
|
Auxiliary Ship
|
Auxiliary Ship
|
Training Ship
|
TV
|
3501-
|
3501-
|
Names of places of natural beauty and historic interest or one that added a number to the type or the model
|
Training Submarine
|
TSS
|
-
|
-
|
Training Support Ship
|
ATS
|
4201-
|
4201-
|
Multipurpose Support Ship
|
AMS
|
-
|
-
|
Oceanographic Research Ship
|
AGS
|
5101-
|
5101-
|
Ocean Surveillance Ship
|
AOS
|
5201-
|
5201-
|
Ice breaker
|
AGB
|
5001-
|
5001-
|
Cable Repairing Ship
|
ARC
|
1001-
|
481-
|
Submarine Rescue Ship
|
ASR
|
1101-
|
401-
|
Submarine Rescue Tender
|
AS
|
1111-
|
405-
|
Experimental Ship
|
ASE
|
6101-
|
6101-
|
Fast Combat Support Ship
|
AOE
|
4011-
|
421-
|
Service Utility Ship
|
ASU
|
-
|
7001-
|
Service Utility Craft
|
ASU
|
81-
|
61-
|
Service Yacht
|
ASY
|
91-
|
91-
|
Recruitment and training
[
edit
]
JMSDF recruits receive three months of basic training followed by courses in patrol, gunnery, minesweeping, convoy operations, and maritime transportation. Flight students, all upper-secondary school graduates, enter a two-year course. Officer candidate schools offer six-month courses to qualified enlisted personnel and those who have completed flight school.
Graduates of four-year universities, the four-year
National Defense Academy
, and particularly outstanding enlisted personnel undergo a one-year officer course at the
Officer Candidate School
at
Etajima
, site of the former Imperial Naval Academy. The JMSDF operates a staff college in Tokyo for senior officers.
The large volume of coastal commercial fishing and maritime traffic around Japan limits in-service sea training, especially in the relatively shallow waters required for mine laying, minesweeping, and submarine rescue practice. Training days are scheduled around slack fishing seasons in winter and summer?providing about ten days during the year.
The JMSDF maintains two oceangoing training ships and conducted annual long-distance on-the-job training for graduates of the one-year officer candidate school.
[57]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
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Archived
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Further reading
[
edit
]
- Agawa, Naoyuki.
Friendship across the Seas: The US Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
. Tokyo: Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture, 2019.
ISBN
978-4-86658-055-5
- Auer, James.
The Postwar Rearmament of Japanese Maritime Forces, 1945?1971
. New York: Praeger, 1973.
ISBN
0-275-28633-9
- Auer, James. "Japan's Changing Defense Policy,"
The New Pacific Security Environment
. Ralph A. Cossa, ed. Wash. D.C.:
National Defense University
, 1993.
- Jane's Intelligence Review
, February 1992.
- Jane's Defence Weekly
17 August 1991
- Midford, Paul
. "Japan's Response to Terror: Dispatching the SDF to the Arabian Sea,"
Asian Survey
, 43:2 (March/April 2003).
- Rubinstein, G.A. and J. O'Connell. "Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Forces,"
Naval Forces
. 11: 2 (1990).
- Sekino, Hideo. "Japan and Her Maritime Defense,"
U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings
, (May 1971).
- Sekino, Hideo. "A Diagnosis of our Maritime Self-Defense Force,"
Sekai no Kansen
(Ships of the World), November 1970.
- Takei, Tomohisa,
"Japan Maritime Self Defense Force in the New Maritime Era,"
Hatou
, 34: 4(November 2008).
- Tsukigi, Shinji, "External and Internal Factors Shaping The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF)." Monterey, Cal.:
Naval Postgraduate School
, June 1993. Master's thesis.
- Wile, Ted Shannon. Sealane Defense: An Emerging Role for the JMSDF?. Master's Thesis,
Naval Postgraduate School
(1981).
- Woolley, Peter J (1996). "Japan's 1991 Minesweeping Decision: An Organizational Response".
Asian Survey
.
36
(8): 804?817.
doi
:
10.2307/2645440
.
JSTOR
2645440
.
- Woolley, Peter J
.
Japan's Navy: Politics and Paradox 1971?2000
. London: Lynne-Reinner: 2000.
ISBN
1-55587-819-9
- Yamaguchi, Jiro. "The Gulf War and the Transformation of Japanese Constitutional Politics,"
Journal of Japanese Studies
, Vol. 18 (Winter 1992).
- Young, P. Lewis. "The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces: Major Surface Combatants Destroyers and Frigates,"
Asian Defense Journal
(1985).
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
Helicopter Destroyer (DDH)
| |
---|
Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG)
| |
---|
Destroyer (DD)
| |
---|
All Purpose Destroyer (DDA)
| |
---|
Anti Submarine Destroyer (DDK)
| |
---|
Destroyer Escort (DE)
| |
---|
Frigate Multi-Purpose/Mine (FFM)
| |
---|
Patrol Frigate (PF)
| |
---|
Submarine (SS)
| |
---|
Ocean Minehunters/Minesweepers (MHS)
| |
---|
Minesweeper Tenders (MST)
| |
---|
Minelayers (MMC)
| |
---|
Coastal Minehunters/Minesweepers (MHC/MSC)
| |
---|
Amphibious Warfare (LST/LCU)
| |
---|
Diving Support Vessel (YDT)
| |
---|
Cable Laying Ship (ARC)
| |
---|
Yacht (ASY)
| |
---|
Research Ship (AGS/AOS)
| |
---|
Replenishment Ship (AO/AOE)
| |
---|
Patrol boat (PG)
| |
---|
Submarine chaser (PC)
| |
---|
Training ship (TV/ATS/TSS)
| |
---|
Submarine rescue ship (ASR/AS)
| |
---|
Experimental ship (ASE)
| |
---|
Icebreaker (AGB)
| |
---|
|