, abbreviated ,
also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the
maritime warfare
Naval warfare is combat in and on the sea, the ocean, or any other battlespace involving a major body of water such as a large lake or wide river. Mankind has fought battles on the sea for more than 3,000 years. Even in the interior of large lan ...
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
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrend ...
(IJN) after World War II. The JMSDF has a fleet of 154 ships, 346 aircraft and 50,800 personnel.
History
Origin
Following Japan's defeat in World War II, the
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrend ...
was dissolved by the
Potsdam Declaration
The Potsdam Declaration, or the Proclamation Defining Terms for Japanese Surrender, was a statement that called for the surrender of all Japanese armed forces during World War II. On July 26, 1945, United States President Harry S. Truman, Uni ...
acceptance. Ships were disarmed, and some of them, such as the battleship , were taken by the Allied Powers as reparation. 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''. The
minesweeping
Minesweeping is the practice of the removal of explosive naval mines, usually by a specially designed ship called a minesweeper using various measures to either capture or detonate the mines, but sometimes also with an aircraft made for that ...
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,
Article 9 specifying 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
, also simply known as the Coastal Security Force, was an organization under the jurisdiction of the National Safety Agency, and existed from 1 August 1952 to 30 June 1954 in Japan. It was a maritime security agency established for the purpose o ...
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
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
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
Following the end of the Cold War, the role of the JMSDF has vastly changed. In 1991, after much 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
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...
, under the name of Operation Gulf Dawn, to clear mines sown by
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolutio ...
's defending forces.
[Woolley, Peter J. (1996). "The Kata of Japan's Naval Forces," ]Naval War College Review
The ''Naval War College Review'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal published by the United States Navy's Naval War College. It covers public policy matters of interest to the maritime services and was established in 1948.
History
Dur ...
, XLIX, 2: 59–69. Starting with a mission to Cambodia in 1993 when JSDF personnel were supported by
JDS ''Towada'',
it has been active in a number of
UN-led peacekeeping operations throughout Asia.
In 1993, it commissioned its first
Aegis
The aegis ( ; grc, αἰγίς ''aigís''), as stated in the ''Iliad'', is a device carried by Athena and Zeus, variously interpreted as an animal skin or a shield and sometimes featuring the head of a Gorgon. There may be a connection with a d ...
-equipped destroyer, . 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
![DDH-183 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/DDH-183_%28cropped%29.jpg)
The JMSDF, along with the
Japan Coast Guard
The is the coast guard of Japan.
The Japan Coast Guard consists of about 13,700 personnel and is responsible for the protection of the coastline of Japan under the oversight of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Th ...
, 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
A spy ship or reconnaissance vessel is a dedicated ship intended to gather intelligence, usually by means of sophisticated electronic eavesdropping. In a wider sense, any ship intended to gather information could be considered a spy ship.
Spy ...
in the
Battle of Amami-Ōshima.
In 2002, the JMSDF deployed ships to the
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...
in support of
Operation Anaconda
Operation Anaconda was a military operation that took place in early March 2002 as part of the War in Afghanistan. CIA paramilitary officers, working with their allies, attempted to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban forces. The operation took plac ...
during the
War in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to:
*Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC)
* Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709)
*Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see al ...
.
In August 2003, a new "
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
carrier" class was ordered, the . Due to the size and features of the ship, including a full-length
flight deck
The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopte ...
, it was classified as a
helicopter carrier
A helicopter carrier is a type of aircraft carrier whose primary purpose is to operate helicopters, and has a large flight deck that occupies a substantial part of the deck, which can extend the full length of the ship like of the Royal Navy ...
by
Lloyd's Register
Lloyd's Register Group Limited (LR) is a technical and professional services organisation and a maritime classification society, wholly owned by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, a UK charity dedicated to research and education in science and ...
— similar to the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
's . There was discussion about whether an
aircraft carrier would be prohibited by
Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution
is a clause in the national Constitution of Japan outlawing war as a means to settle international disputes involving the state. The Constitution came into effect on 3 May 1947, following World War II. In its text, the state formally renounces th ...
, since aircraft carriers are generally considered offensive weapons. In April 1988, the former chief of the
Defense Agency
The is an executive department of the Government of Japan responsible for preserving the peace and independence of Japan, and maintaining the country’s national security and the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
The ministry is headed by the ...
,
Tsutomu Kawara
was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Biography
Kawara was a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Nanao, Ishikawa and graduate of Chuo University, he was elected for the f ...
, said, "The Self-Defense Forces are not allowed to possess
ICBMs (
intercontinental ballistic missiles),
strategic bombers, or attack aircraft carriers."
Historically (until about 1975 in the
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
) 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
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
following the 1993 test of the
Nodong-1
The Hwasong-7 (; spelled Hwaseong-7 in South Korea, lit. Mars Type 7), also known as Nodong-1 (Hangul: ; Hanja: ), is a single- stage, mobile liquid propellant medium-range ballistic missile developed by North Korea. Developed in the mid-1980s, it ...
missile and the 1998 test of the Taepodong-1 missile over northern Japan, the JMSDF has stepped up its role 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 . The first one of these ships was laid down in 2012 and was launched on 6 August 2013.
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. In 2010 it was announced that the Japanese submarine fleet would be increased in size for the first time in 36 years.
After a meeting between the Japanese Foreign Minister and U.S. Ambassador to Japan on 4 March 2014, the
Japanese Defense Ministry and
U.S. Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secur ...
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
littoral combat ship
The littoral combat ship (LCS) is either of two classes of relatively small surface vessels designed for operations near shore by the United States Navy. It was "envisioned to be a networked, agile, stealthy surface combatant capable of defeat ...
.
The study is 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
The Type 056 corvette (NATO reporting name: Jiangdao-class corvette) is a class of warship deployed by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). They replace older patrol craft and some of the Type 053H frigates. The first Type 056 enter ...
and
Type 022 missile boat
The Type 22 ( NATO designation: ''Houbei'' class) missile boat is a ship class in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy. The first boat was launched in April 2004 by the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard at Shanghai. The boats incorporate stealth feat ...
. A J-LCS with an enlarged hull could operate the
SH-60K SH6 may refer to:
* State Highway 6 (New Zealand)
* Texas State Highway 6
* Minnesota State Highway 6
Minnesota State Highway 6 (MN 6) is a highway in east-central and north-central Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with State Highw ...
anti-submarine helicopter or the MCH-101 airborne mine countermeasures (AMCM) helicopter.
On May 1, 2017, was dispatched to protect a U.S Navy supply vessel in the Pacific. This was the first time the JMSDF has been used to defend allied vessels since the 2016 amendment to the Japanese Constitution.
Japan christened the long, JS ''Ōryū'' submarine on October 4, 2018. It is Japan's first submarine powered by
lithium-ion
A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also se ...
batteries and was developed by
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
is a Japanese multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group and its automobile division is the predecessor of Mitsubishi Mo ...
. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force will utilize it by March 2020.
Japan and the United States conducted the biggest military exercise around Japan thus far 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
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
. A naval supply ship and a frigate of the
Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...
also participated. There were simulations of air combat, ballistic missile defense and amphibious landings.
On 18 December 2018, Japan announced it will refit the
''Izumo''-class destroyers to carry US-designed
F-35B
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide elect ...
fighter jets. This makes them de facto
aircraft carriers
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a n ...
. 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
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
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. Each ship can only carry approximately 10 F-35Bs. That is too few aircraft for effective air defense of a naval fleet.
The
Diet
Diet may refer to:
Food
* Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group
* Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake
** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...
of Japan approved in 2019 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 Japanese 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.
On October 14, 2020 the 3,000-ton submarine was unveiled. This is the first vessel of the ''Taigei'' class and the 22nd submarine vessel of the JMSDF. It will enter service in March 2022.
On 30 June 2022, the
Japan Ministry of Defense
The is an executive department of the Government of Japan responsible for preserving the peace and independence of Japan, and maintaining the country’s national security and the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
The ministry is headed by the ...
announced the construction of
12 offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) by
Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU) for the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) at a cost of ¥ 9 billion ($66 million USD) per ship. The purpose of this OPV program is to provide enhanced maritime security, particularly around the southwestern
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yona ...
, 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
ISTAR stands for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance. In its macroscopic sense, ISTAR is a practice that links several battlefield functions together to assist a combat force in employing its sensors and managing t ...
(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.
On August 31, 2022, the
Japan Ministry of Defense
The is an executive department of the Government of Japan responsible for preserving the peace and independence of Japan, and maintaining the country’s national security and the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
The ministry is headed by the ...
announced that JMSDF will operate two "
Aegis system equipped ships" (イージス・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
Surface combatants (or surface ships or surface vessels) are a subset of naval warships which are designed for warfare on the surface of the water, with their own weapons and armed forces. They are generally ships built to fight other ships, subma ...
warships operated by the JMSDF, and according to ''
Popular Mechanics
''Popular Mechanics'' (sometimes PM or PopMech) is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation and transportation o ...
'', they will "arguably
ethe largest deployable surface warships in the world.".
On On 16 November 2022, the guided-missile destroyer 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 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
The Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands is a U.S. naval facility and airport located five nautical miles (9 km) northwest of the central business district of Kekaha, in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States.
PMRF is the world's larg ...
on
Kauai Island
Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest 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 testes validated the ballistic missile defense capabilities of Japan’s newest s.,
the guided-missile destroyer 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 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
The Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands is a U.S. naval facility and airport located five nautical miles (9 km) northwest of the central business district of Kekaha, in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States.
PMRF is the world's larg ...
on
Kauai Island
Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest 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 s.
Capabilities
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.
Japan has the eighth largest
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the world, 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
Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are t ...
and
minesweeping
Minesweeping is the practice of the removal of explosive naval mines, usually by a specially designed ship called a minesweeper using various measures to either capture or detonate the mines, but sometimes also with an aircraft made for that ...
capabilities. Defense planners believe the most effective approach to combating hostile
submarines entails mobilizing all available weapons, including surface combatants, submarines,
patrol planes, and
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
s. They are also known to operate at least fourteen listening stations all over the country that have ELINT and marine surveillance radar warning systems.
Historically, the
Japan Air Self-Defense Force
The , , also informally referred to as the Japanese Air Force, is the air and space branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace, other air and space operations, cyberwarfare and electronic warf ...
(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
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
protection is limited by the absence of
aircraft carriers
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a n ...
, though its
destroyers and
frigates equipped with the
Aegis combat system
The Aegis Combat System is an American integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and it is now produced by Lockheed Martin.
Initially used by the United States Navy, Aegis is now used also by ...
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
International activities
Mission in the Indian Ocean
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). 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 Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...
. 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
The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a parall ...
.
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
is a former Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 16 September 2009 to 8 June 2010. He was the first Prime Minister from the modern Democratic Party of Japan.
First elected to the House of Representatives in 1986, Hatoy ...
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
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
and the
Royal Danish Navy
The Royal Danish Navy ( da, Søværnet) is the sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Danish territorial waters (incl. Faroe Islands and Greenland). O ...
, doing friendship activities in the Indian Ocean.
Mission in Somalia
In May 2010, Japan announced its intention to build a permanent naval base in
Djibouti
Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...
, from which it will conduct operations to protect merchant shipping from
Somali pirates
Somali may refer to:
Horn of Africa
* Somalis, an inhabitant or ethnicity associated with Greater Somali Region
** Proto-Somali, the ancestors of modern Somalis
** Somali culture
** Somali cuisine
** Somali language, a Cushitic language
** Somali, ...
.
Military exercises and exchanges
The JMSDF and the
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
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". The JMSDF participates in
RIMPAC
RIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, is the world's largest international maritime warfare exercise. RIMPAC is held biennially during June and July of even-numbered years from Honolulu, Hawaii, with the exception of 2020 where it was held ...
, 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
Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, c ...
harbor in July 1996 to participate in the
Russian Navy's 300th Anniversary Naval Review. In return, ''
Admiral Vinogradov'', an , called at
Tokyo Bay
is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan, and spans the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture. Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel. The Tokyo Bay region is both the most populous ...
in June 1997. The JMSDF has also conducted joint naval exercises with the
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates si ...
.
*
RIMPAC
RIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, is the world's largest international maritime warfare exercise. RIMPAC is held biennially during June and July of even-numbered years from Honolulu, Hawaii, with the exception of 2020 where it was held ...
: Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force participated in RIMPAC after 1980.
*Pacific Shield (
PSI
Psi, PSI or Ψ may refer to:
Alphabetic letters
* Psi (Greek) (Ψ, ψ), the 23rd letter of the Greek alphabet
* Psi (Cyrillic) (Ѱ, ѱ), letter of the early Cyrillic alphabet, adopted from Greek
Arts and entertainment
* "Psi" as an abbreviatio ...
): 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
The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System (Aegis BMD or ABMD), also known as ''Sea-Based Midcourse'', is a United States Department of Defense Missile Defense Agency program developed to provide missile defense against short to intermediate- ...
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.
Equipment
Ships and submarines
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
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...
. , the JMSDF operates a total of 124 ships (excluding minor auxiliary vessels), including: two multi-purpose operation destroyers (de facto
aircraft carriers), two
helicopter carriers
A helicopter carrier is a type of aircraft carrier whose primary purpose is to operate helicopters, and has a large flight deck that occupies a substantial part of the deck, which can extend the full length of the ship like of the Royal Navy ( ...
(''called'' ''
helicopter destroyer
A helicopter carrier is a type of aircraft carrier whose primary purpose is to operate helicopters, and has a large flight deck that occupies a substantial part of the deck, which can extend the full length of the ship like of the Royal Navy ...
s''), 26
destroyers, 10 small destroyers (''or
frigates''), six
destroyer escort
Destroyer escort (DE) was the United States Navy mid-20th-century classification for a warship designed with the endurance necessary to escort mid-ocean convoys of merchant marine ships.
Development of the destroyer escort was promoted by th ...
s (''or
corvettes''), 22
attack submarine
An attack submarine or hunter-killer submarine is a submarine specifically designed for the purpose of attacking and sinking other submarines, surface combatants and merchant vessels. In the Soviet and Russian navies they were and are called ...
s, 29
mine countermeasure vessel
A mine countermeasures vessel or MCMV is a type of naval ship designed for the location of and destruction of naval mines which combines the role of a minesweeper and minehunter
A minehunter is a naval vessel that seeks, detects, and destr ...
s, six
patrol vessels
A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...
, three
landing ship tank
Landing Ship, Tank (LST), or tank landing ship, is the naval designation for ships first developed during World War II (1939–1945) to support amphibious operations by carrying tanks, vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto shore wi ...
s, eight training vessels and a fleet of various
auxiliary ship
An auxiliary ship is a naval ship designed to support combatant ships and other naval operations. Auxiliary ships are not primary combatant vessels, though they may have some limited combat capacity, usually for purposes of self-defense.
Auxil ...
s. The fleet has a total displacement of approximately 624,000 tonnes (excluding auxiliary vessels).
Aircraft
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.
Aircraft
Organization, formations and structure
![JMSDF Kure District Headquarters Government Building](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/JMSDF_Kure_District_Headquarters_Government_Building.jpg)
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
is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
, the city has a population of 409,478, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region.
The city ...
, consists of the JMSDF's military shipping. It is composed of Fleet Escort Force (based in
Yokosuka
is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
, the city has a population of 409,478, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region.
The city ...
,
Sasebo
is a core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is also the second largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. On 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 247,739 and a population density of 581 persons p ...
,
Maizuru
is a city in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 78,644 in 34817 households and a population density of 230 persons per km². The total area of the city is .
Geography
Maizuru is located in northern Kyoto Pref ...
and
Kure
is a port and major shipbuilding city situated on the Seto Inland Sea in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. With a strong industrial and naval heritage, Kure hosts the second-oldest naval dockyard in Japan and remains an important base for the Japan ...
), the
Fleet Air Force
In the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), the Fleet Air Force ( ja, 航空集団, kōkū shūdan) is its naval aviation branch, responsible for both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft and headquartered in Naval Air Facility Atsugi. As of 2012, ...
headquartered at
Atsugi,
Fleet Submarine Force
The Fleet Submarine Force belonged to the surface force for the self-defense fleet of the Maritime Self-Defense Forces. It is a fleet organized around submarines belonging to the Self-Defense Fleet of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
His ...
based at Yokosuka and Kure, Mine Warfare Force based at Yokosuka and the Fleet Training Command at Yokosuka.
[ See section 2: "The Self Defense Forces"]
On 6 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.
Each Escort Flotilla is formed as an
8-8 fleet of eight destroyers and eight on-board helicopters, a modification of the old Japanese navy fleet layout of eight battleships and eight cruisers. 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.
*
Prime Minister of Japan
The prime minister of Japan (Japanese: 内閣総理大臣, Hepburn: ''Naikaku Sōri-Daijin'') is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its Ministers of Sta ...
**
Minister of Defense
***JMSDF Chief of Staff / Maritime Staff Office
****
Self-Defense Fleet
The is the main force of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, and was established at the same time as the establishment of the Self-Defense Forces (predecessor of the Ministry of Defense) on July 1, 1954. It operates ships and aircraft, and responds ...
*****
Fleet Escort Force
The is the main force of the Self Defense Fleet of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and played a central role in the Maritime Self-Defense Force, which mainly consists of escort vessels and various other ships. Together with the Fleet Su ...
******Escort Flotilla 1 (Yokosuka)
*******Escort Squadron 1:
DDH-183 Izumo;
DDG-179 Maya;
DD-101 Murasame;
DD-107 Ikazuchi (Yokosuka)
*******Escort Squadron 5:
DDG-173 Kongō;
DD-108 Akebono;
DD-109 Ariake;
DD-115 Akizuki (Sasebo)
******Escort Flotilla 2 (Sasebo)
*******Escort Squadron 2:
DDH-182 Ise;
DDG-178 Ashigara;
DD-102 Harusame;
DD-119 Asahi (Sasebo)
*******Escort Squadron 6:
DDG-174 Kirishima;
DD-110 Takanami;
DD-111 Onami;
DD-116 Teruzuki (Yokosuka)
******Escort Flotilla 3 (Maizuru)
*******Escort Squadron 3:
DDH-181 Hyūga;
DDG-175 Myōkō;
DDG-177 Atago;
DD-118 Fuyuzuki (Maizuru)
*******Escort Squadron 7:
DD-103 Yudachi;
DD-112 Makinami;
DD-114 Suzunami;
DD-120 Shiranui (Ominato)
******Escort Flotilla 4 (Kure)
*******Escort Squadron 4:
DDH-184 Kaga;
DD-105 Inazuma;
DD-106 Samidare;
DD-113 Sazanami (Kure)
*******Escort Squadron 8:
DDG-180 Haguro;
DDG-176 Chōkai;
DD-104 Kirisame;
DD-117 Suzutsuki (Sasebo)
******Naval District Forces:
*******11th Escort Squadron:
DD-152 Yamagiri;
DD-153 Yūgiri;
DD-154 Amagiri (Yokosuka)
*******12th Escort Squadron:
DD-158 Umigiri;
DE-229 Abukuma;
DE-234 Tone (Kure)
*******13th Escort Squadron:
DD-157 Sawagiri;
DE-230 Jintsū;
FFM-3 Noshiro (Sasebo)
*******14th Escort Squadron:
DD-151 Asagiri;
DE-232 Sendai;
DD-156 Setogiri (Maizuru)
*******15th Escort Squadron:
DD-155 Hamagiri;
DE-231 Ōyodo;
DE-233 Chikuma (Ominato)
******1st Replenishment-at-Sea Squadron (Yokosuka):
AOE-422 Towada (Kure);
AOE-423 Tokiwa (Yokosuka);
AOE-424 Hamana (Sasebo); AOE-425 Mashu (Mashu-class) (Maizuru); AOE-426 Omi (Mashu-class) (Sasebo)
******1st Training Support Squadron:
ATS-4202 Kurobe;
ATS-4203 Tenryu; (Kure)
******Fleet Training Command (Yokosuka)
*****
Fleet Air Force
In the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), the Fleet Air Force ( ja, 航空集団, kōkū shūdan) is its naval aviation branch, responsible for both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft and headquartered in Naval Air Facility Atsugi. As of 2012, ...
******Fleet Air Wing 1 (
P-3C UH-60J)
******Fleet Air Wing 2 (P-3C UH-60J)
******
Fleet Air Wing 4 (P-3C UH-60J)
******Fleet Air Wing 5 (P-3C UH-60J)
******
Fleet Air Wing 21 (
SH-60J/K)
******
Fleet Air Wing 22 (SH-60J)
******Fleet Air Wing 31 (
US-1A US-2 EP-3 OP-3C UP-3D LC-90 U-36A)
******
Fleet Squadron 51 (P-1, P-3C UP-3C/D OP-3 SH-60J/K OH-6DA)
******
Fleet Squadron 61 (
C-130R LC-90)
******
Mine Countermeasures Helicopter Squadron 111 (
MCH-101)
*****
Fleet Submarine Force
The Fleet Submarine Force belonged to the surface force for the self-defense fleet of the Maritime Self-Defense Forces. It is a fleet organized around submarines belonging to the Self-Defense Fleet of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
His ...
(Yokosuka)
******Submarine Flotilla 1 (Kure)
*******Flotilla HQ: ASR-403 Chihaya
*******Submarine Squadron 1:
SS-507 Jinryū;
SS-510 Shōryū;
SS-593 Makishio;
SS-594 Isoshio
*******Submarine Squadron 3:
SS-504 Kenryū;
SS-511 Ōryū;
SS-596 Kuroshio;
SS-600 Mochishio
*******Submarine Squadron 5:
SS-501 Sōryū;
SS-502 Unryū;
SS-503 Hakuryū;
SS-508 Sekiryū
*******Kure Submarine Base Support Squadron
******Submarine Flotilla 2 (Yokosuka)
*******Flotilla HQ: ASR-404 Chiyoda
*******Submarine Squadron 2:
SS-592 Uzushio;
SS-595 Narushio;
SS-597 Takashio
*******Submarine Squadron 4:
SS-505 Zuiryū;
SS-598 Yaeshio;
SS-599 Setoshio
*******Submarine Squadron 6:
SS-506 Kokuryū;
SS-509 Seiryū;
SS-512 Tōryū
*******Yokosuka Submarine Base Support Squadron
******1st Submarine Training Squadron (Kure):
TSS-3608 Oyashio;
TSS-3609 Michishio
******Submarine Training Command (Kure)
*******Yokosuka Submarine Training Detachment
*****
Mine Warfare Force (Yokosuka)
******Minesweeper Squadron 1 (Yokosuka):
MST-463 Uraga (
Uraga class mine warfare command ship); MSO-304 Awaji (Awaji-class minesweeper); MSO-305 Hirado (Awaji-class minesweeper); MSC-606 Hatsushima (Enoshima-class minesweeper)
******Minesweeper Squadron 2 (Sasebo): MSC-601 Hirashima; MSC-602 Yakushima; MSC-603 Takashima (all three Hirashima-class minesweepers)
******Minesweeper Squadron 3 (Kure):
MST-464 Bungo (Uraga class mine warfare command ship); MSC-688 Aishima (Sugashima-class minesweeper); MSC-690 Miyajima (Sugashima-class minesweeper)
******Minesweeper Squadron 101 (Kure): MSC-679 Yugeshima; MSC-680 Nagashima (both Uwajima-class minesweeper command boats); 4 minesweeping drone boats (SAM 1 - 4)
******Landing Ship Squadron 1 (Kure):
LST-4001 ''Ōsumi'';
LST-4002 ''Shimokita'';
LST-4003 ''Kunisaki''
*******1st
Landing Craft Air Cushion
The Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) is a class of air-cushioned landing craft (hovercraft) used by the United States Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). They transport weapons systems, equipment, cargo and personnel from sh ...
Unit (Kure): LCAC-2101 - 2106
******Mine Warfare Support Center (Yokosuka)
*******Mine Warfare Support Detachment Kure
*****
Fleet Research & Development Command
*****
Fleet Intelligence Command
The Fleet Intelligence Command belonged to the self-defense fleet of the Maritime Self-Defense Forces. It was previously known as Information Business Group.
History
It was the only intelligence unit of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, which ...
*****Oceanographic and ASW Support Command
****Air Training Command
*****
Shimofusa Air Training Group (P-3C YS-11TA UH-60J)
*****
Tokushima
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 728,633 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,146 km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the nort ...
Air Training Group (
202nd Naval Air Training Squadron) (
TC-90) (UC-90) (UH-60J)
*****
Ozuki Air Training Group (
T-5 UH-60J)
****Maritime Material Command
*****Ship Supply Depot
*****Air Supply Depot
****Training Division (Kure)
*****Division HQ:
TV-3508 Kashima
*****Training Squadron 1:
TV-3513 Shimayuki;
TV-3518 Setoyuki;
TV-3520 Hatakaze
****Communication Command
****Criminal Investigation Command
****Service Activity Tokyo
****Printing Supply Unit
****JMSDF Staff College
****Maritime Officer Candidate School
****1st Service School
****2nd Service School
****3rd Service School
****4th Service School
****
Sub Area Activity Hanshin
****
Yokosuka
is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
, the city has a population of 409,478, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region.
The city ...
District
****
Kure
is a port and major shipbuilding city situated on the Seto Inland Sea in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. With a strong industrial and naval heritage, Kure hosts the second-oldest naval dockyard in Japan and remains an important base for the Japan ...
District
****
Sasebo
is a core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is also the second largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. On 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 247,739 and a population density of 581 persons p ...
District
****
Maizuru
is a city in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 78,644 in 34817 households and a population density of 230 persons per km². The total area of the city is .
Geography
Maizuru is located in northern Kyoto Pref ...
District
****
Ominato District
District Forces
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. Furthermore, 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, on the other hand, tend to be purpose built vessels. Each district also has a number of minesweeping ships.
Fleet Air Force
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
is a city located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 221,459, and a population density of 725 persons per km2 in 96,092 households, making it Aomori Prefecture's second largest city by population. The city ...
,
Atsugi,
Naha
is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area ...
,
Tateyama Tateyama may refer to:
People with the surname
* Midori Tateyama, Japanese writer
* Shohei Tateyama (born 1981), Japanese baseball player
* Yoshinori Tateyama (born 1975), Japanese baseball player
* Homarefuji Yoshiyuki (born 1985), Japanese su ...
,
Omura and
Iwakuni. The Fleet Air Force is built up mainly with patrol aircraft such as the
Lockheed P-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engined, turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. . Today's JMSDF continues to use the same martial songs, naval flags, signs, and technical terms as the IJN. The JMSDF still uses the Warship March, the old service march of the IJN, as its official service march. It also maintains the IJN
bugle calls tradition, as every ship and shore establishment command maintain a platoon or squad of
bugle
The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, normally having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure.
History
The bugle developed from early musical or communication ...
players.
Flag and insignia
The
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrend ...
first adopted the
off-set naval ensign on May 15, 1870 and it was used until the end of World War II in 1945. On June 30, 1954, when the
JSDF
The Japan Self-Defense Forces ( ja, 自衛隊, Jieitai; abbreviated JSDF), also informally known as the Japanese Armed Forces, are the unified ''de facto''Since Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws the formation of armed forces, t ...
was established, the JSDF and
JGSDF
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...
adopted a different
rising sun flag with 8-rays and an 8:9 ratio.
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
The RGB color model is an additive color model in which the red, green and blue primary colors of light are added together in various ways to reproduce a broad array of colors. The name of the model comes from the initials of the three addi ...
#b12d3d) while the post-WW2 version is brighter red (RGB #bd0029).
Food
Curry
A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included.
There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in trad ...
was brought to Japan from India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
by the Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
. The Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrend ...
adopted curry to prevent beriberi
Thiamine deficiency is a medical condition of low levels of thiamine (Vitamin B1). A severe and chronic form is known as beriberi. The two main types in adults are wet beriberi and dry beriberi. Wet beriberi affects the cardiovascular system, ...
. The recipe of Japanese curry
is commonly served in three main forms: , curry udon (curry over thick noodles), and (a curry-filled pastry). It is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. The very common "curry rice" is most often referred to simply as .
Along with the sau ...
was gradually arranged in Japan by chefs. It is also an excellent recipe, nutritious, easy to cook in mass quantity, and reportedly delicious.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force continues this tradition with curry as the Friday menu.[Curry Recipe](_blank)
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Japanese curry was changed and adapted drastically to become a uniquely Japanese dish.
Ship names
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.
Ships of the JMSDF, known as Japan Ships (; Ji'ei-Kan), are classified according to the following criteria:
Recruitment and training
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
An officer candidate school (OCS) is a military school which trains civilians and enlisted personnel in order for them to gain a commission as officers in the armed forces of a country. How OCS is run differs between countries and services. Ty ...
at Etajima
, also called , ''Nomijima'', ''Nomi Island'', or is an island in Hiroshima Bay located in southwestern Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The mess with island name originates from the ancient (and possibly legendary) strait at now town .
Geography
Th ...
(site of the former Imperial Naval Academy). The JMSDF also 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.
See also
*Japanese ship naming conventions Japanese ship names follow different conventions from those typical in the West. Merchant ship names often contain the word ''maru'' at the end (meaning ''circle''), while warships are never named after people, but rather after objects such as mount ...
*Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station Yokosuka, Japan
The Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station (NCTS) Far East is a Navy military unit headquartered in Yokosuka, Japan. The unit consists of nine geographically-dispersed sites in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Diego Garcia. NCTS Far East' ...
– US Navy facility key to MSDF/USN operational coordination.
*Shipping Control Authority for the Japanese Merchant Marine
The Shipping Control Authority for the Japanese Merchant Marine (SCAJAP) was an organization established by Allied forces in the occupation of Japan after the end of World War II.
Purpose
# control over all ships greater than 100 gross tons oper ...
– Post-WWII Occupation era organisation
* Ships transferred from the United States Navy to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force 'Category''*
References
Further reading
*Agawa, Naoyuki. ''Friendship across the Seas: The US Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force''. Tokyo: Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture, 2019.
*Auer, James. ''The Postwar Rearmament of Japanese Maritime Forces, 1945–1971''. New York: Praeger, 1973.
*Auer, James. "Japan's Changing Defense Policy," ''The New Pacific Security Environment''. Ralph A. Cossa, ed. Wash. D.C.: National Defense University
The National Defense University (NDU) is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level education, training, and professional development of national security leaders. As ...
, 1993.
*''Jane's Intelligence Review
''Jane's Intelligence Review'' is a monthly journal on global security and stability issues published by Jane's Information Group. Its coverage includes international security issues, state stability, terrorism and insurgency, ongoing conflicts, ...
'', February 1992.
*''Jane's Defence Weekly
''Jane's Defence Weekly'' (abbreviated as ''JDW'') is a weekly magazine reporting on military and corporate affairs, edited by Peter Felstead. It is one of a number of military-related publications named after John F. T. Jane, an Englishman who ...
'' 17 August 1991
* Midford, Paul. "Japan's Response to Terror: Dispatching the SDF to the Arabian Sea," ''Asian Survey
''Asian Survey: A Bimonthly Review of Contemporary Asian Affairs'' is a bimonthly academic journal of Asian studies published by the University of California Press on behalf of the Institute of East Asian Studies at the University of California, ...
'', 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, Tomohis
"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. ''Japan's Navy: Politics and Paradox 1971–2000''. London: Lynne-Reinner: 2000.
* Yamaguchi, Jiro. "The Gulf War and the Transformation of Japanese Constitutional Politics," ''Journal of Japanese Studies
''The Journal of Japanese Studies'' (JJS) is the most influential journal dealing with research on Japan in the United States. It is a multidisciplinary forum for communicating new information, new interpretations, and recent research results con ...
'', 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
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Yokosuka Naval Base Community Website JMSDF News
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force News
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