It's a Hate-Hate relationship
Thread for all things Asia Pacific related; Japan's getting a carrier, and Koreans are acting like niggers.
South Korean warship directs fire-control radar at Japanese MSDF plane
>Kyodo
>Dec 21, 2018
http://archive.is/xzVDq
Japan Times
>A South Korean warship directed fire-control radar on Thursday at a Maritime Self-Defense Force aircraft, the Japanese government said Friday, lodging a protest with South Korea.
>It was an extremely dangerous act that could cause a contingency situation,” Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters.
>The radar was directed at an MSDF P-1 patrol aircraft off the coast of Ishikawa Prefecture on Thursday afternoon, Iwaya said.
>It's impossible for a friendly country (to take such an action). I'm surprised,” a senior Foreign Ministry official separately told reporters.
Japan to effectively remodel MSDF vessel into aircraft carrier
>Kyodo
>Dec 11, 2018
http://archive.fo/gFzfp
>Japan plans to effectively upgrade one of its helicopter carriers to enable it to transport and launch fighter jets, the latest draft of its defense guidelines showed Tuesday, in an apparent effort to curtail China’s maritime assertiveness in nearby waters.
>The ruling parties approved the draft guidelines presented by the government, which said the country will “enable fighter jets to be operated from existing warships, if necessary, to improve the flexibility of their operation.”
>Specifically, the government is looking to upgrade the DDH-183 Izumo to enhance its air defense capabilities in the Pacific Ocean.
>However, remodeling the Maritime Self-Defense Force vessel into an aircraft carrier could draw criticism as it could be seen as a shift away from the country’s strictly defense-oriented policy.
>The government has maintained it cannot possess “attack aircraft carriers” under the pacifist Constitution, as such vessels can be deemed offensive weapons and exceed what is necessary for self-defense.
>The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito agreed Tuesday to draft a statement to make sure the modified Izumo would fall within the scope of the war-renouncing Constitution.
>The government has also indicated F-35B advanced stealth fighter jets will not be permanently deployed on the remodeled Izumo. The fighter jets, which the ministry plans to purchase in the next five years, are capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings.
>“The Izumo was originally designed as a multipurpose escort ship, so it wouldn’t pose any threat to other countries if fighter jets are deployed on it,” Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters earlier in the day. He added the upgraded Izumo would not be an “attack aircraft carrier.”
>The Izumo-class 19,500-ton carriers, which also includes the Kaga, are 248 meters long and can carry up to 14 helicopters. They are Japan’s largest postwar naval vessels.
>The Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to endorse on Dec. 18 the revised version of the National Defense Program Guidelines, which set out defense capability targets over a span of about 10 years, according to government sources.