Red ellipse marks the Tsugaru Strait (Map courtesy Wiki commons)
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Some years ago, Japan adjusted the territorial waters limits of some strategic straits between major Japanese islands to make the passage of potentially nuclear armed USN warships and submarines legal under Japan's "no nuclear weapons on our territory" laws.
One such strait is the Tsugaru Strait which separates Honshu and Hokkaido in northern Japan (see map above). This Strait connects the Sea of Japan with the Pacific Ocean. For further details on the Tsugaru Strait’s territorial situation see Wiki here.
So potentially nuclear armed USN warships and USN submarines have been legally transiting the Tsugaru Strait for years.
The problem is potentially nuclear armed warships of other nations also have the right to transit the Strait.
Japan Today on October 19, 2021, reported:
“Chinese and Russian naval vessels on [October 18, 2021] passed together through the Tsugaru Strait...for unknown reasons, the [Japanese] Defense Ministry said. It is the first time the Japanese Ministry has confirmed Chinese and Russian warships going through the Strait, with its narrowest point only 18.7 kilometers.
A total of 10 vessels belonging to their navies sailed from the Sea of Japan to the Pacific Ocean, the Ministry said, adding Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force found [that they were Chinese and Russian] destroyers and frigates...[see details of those ships here]
The narrow [Tsugaru] strait is nonterritorial and used for international navigation so the passage of foreign ships [is legal]. But the Ministry said it is analyzing the two countries' intent.
China and Russia conducted a joint naval drill in the Sea of Japan this month and it is possible that some of the vessels were part of the exercise.”
Pete Comment
So, this time its not China objecting to a Freedom of Navigation Operation (FONOP) by Western warships passing close to Chinese islands in the South China Sea.
Instead lets say its a "Reverse FONOP" of Chinese and Russian warships legally passing close to Japanese territory.
In the Tsugaru strait, Japan only claims 3nm as its territorial sea (under pressure from you know who).
ReplyDeleteKQN
Hi KQN
ReplyDeleteYes I can guess who ;)
He who wields the nukes (even if they're protective) calls the shots.
Pete
Hi Pete,
ReplyDeleteOff topic, Sweden did do a snap exercis loading Submarine Halland at sea in the dark Top secret submarine weapons were checked under realistic conditions it includes a video but here is a link to it also you can get English subtitles to it.
/Kjell
(Unrelated)
ReplyDeleteSome observations regarding dredging/seafloor development activity at the INS Varsha submarine base on India's east coast (south of Vizag) listed in this Twitter thread:
https://twitter.com/Parthu_Potluri/status/1451561743528824832
Does seem to be a pretty large base...I wonder how much of those hills has actually been hollowed out to make room for the underground SSBN pens, their auxiliary & service tunnels etc.
Hi Pete,
ReplyDeleteA FONOP is a very specific operation to challenge a maritime claim that is in excess of international laws. FONOP is to demonstrate non acquiescence because failure to do so can legally be argued as acquiescence under international law. As such, FONOP is a language of politics.
In contrast, the Tsugaru transit is not a FONOP but merely innocent passage because there is no excessive maritime claim by Japan unlike the Chinese is doing all over the South China Sea.
This is a very important difference under international law.
Brumby
Hi Pete,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post. Very interesting.
Can you imagine if China invades Taiwan, there are, say 15 destroyers in this tiny 18nm strait of water from China, that legally are ok, but they then set anchor, while another invasion fleet heads for Taiwan? Would Japan have enough assets to defend against both of China's fleets?
Time to revise the laws.
Andrew
Thanks /Kjell
ReplyDeleteOne can only conclude that the Swedish naval-industrial complex decided to so heavily advertise the "Top Secret" torpedo reload/checking
as a way to increase potential buyer interest in A26 subs armed with those "Top Secret" torpedoes.
Cheers Pete
Thanks Gessler [your Oct 23, 2021, 3:44:00 AM]
ReplyDeleteVery interesting about INS Varsha nuclear submarine base on India's east coast (south of Vizag) at https://twitter.com/Parthu_Potluri/status/1451561743528824832
also see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INS_Varsha
Re: "Does seem to be a pretty large base..."
The size would be partly due to the (at least):
- 4 full size SSBNs (each with 12+ SLBM silos) India is planning (maybe ready in 10-15 years)
AND
- the 6 x Alpha-class SSNs (maybe ready in 15 years) partly to protect those SSBNs
So all these extremely expensive subs will need alot of facilities at INS Varsha base to protect them.
Pete
Hi Andrew
ReplyDeleteIf the Chinese and Russian navies keep going through those non-territorialized by Japan straits I suspect Japan may change the laws back to re-territorializing those straits again.
Then Japan may permit US warships and subs transitting the straits for "essential assistance for the DEFENSE of Japan" in accordance with the Peace Constitution.
Worth a try anyway.
Pete
Hi Andrew,
ReplyDeleteInnocent passage under international law is provision for transit through territorial waters. You can't set anchor and claim innocent passage because anchoring is not passage.
Brumby
Just to clarify the article about the "Top secret submarine weapon".
ReplyDeleteIt's not refering to any secret torpedo or other weapon etc, the "submarine weapon" is direct, but incorrect translation of the Swedish word ubåtsvapnet. Vapen can mean weapon in Swedish, but in this sentence it means the submarine service (like the Royal Navy Submarine Service) and refers to that the submarine service is a rather secret unit.
As a note, the Swedish Air Force is called Flygvapnet (the air arm or air service) in Swedish.
/C
There's an problem in calling it a reverse FONOP. The FONOPs by the US in the SCS go near PRC man-made islands in the middle of the sea. Those islands are not legally recognized PRC territory and are naturally highly contested and controversial, thus making US FONOPs there highly favorable, even by 3rd party.
ReplyDeleteThe Japanese land around Tsugaru Strait is Hokkaido and Aomori prefecture which are lands fully legally recognized as Japanese and fully 100% in the right to be Japanese. Japanese territory that is closer to the shallow level of "territory" as asserted by the PRC for SCS islands, particularly those in the Spratly Island Group, would be something like the Senkaku islands or Okinotori. But even the Spratly islands are more abusive to be viewed as PRC territory than Senkaku or Okinotori as Japanese.
A direct reverse of a "FONOPS at Tsugaru Strait" would be a FONOPs not at PRC SCS islands but somewhere close to PRC shore in a place like Liaodong Bay.
All these disputing FONOP comments above forget International Law is codified politics.
ReplyDeleteIn that regard FONOPs is a POLITICAL TERM.
One is entitled to his own interpretation of political terms.
@anonymous C
ReplyDeleteI did use Google translate and now there is an English version and then it got Top secret submarine weapon checked under realistic circumstances a little different but I think it's okay.
/Kjell
Hi Andrew at Oct 23, 2021, 2:40:00 PM
ReplyDeleteIn recent years, Japan has been increasing its ASW/ASuW capabilities in response to the expansion of PLA.
I think it is not well known outside Japan, so I will introduce some of the projects.
・Increase submarines from 16+2 to 22+2 [1]
・Development and deployment of Type 18 torpedoes (For submarines, except Oyashio class) [2]
・Deployment of Type 12 surface-to-ship missiles (12SSM) to 4 islands (Ishigakijima, Amami-ohshima, Miyakojima, and Okinawa-main-island) [3]
・Development and deployment of Type 17 ship-to-ship missiles (17SSM) [4]
・Replace aging P-3C with P-1 [5]
・Introduction of JSMs for F-35 fleet [6]
・Range extension of supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles for F-2 fleet (ASM-3A & ASM-3(Kai)) [7]
・Range extension of subsonic anti-ship cruise missiles for P-1 fleet [8]
・Development of subsonic stealth stand-off anti-ship cruise missiles (Launched from air/ground/ship) [9]
・Research of elemental technology for hypersonic anti-ship cruise missiles [10]
・Development of hypersonic glide missiles (For use not only anti-ground but also anti-ship missions) [11]
[1]http://www.clearing.mod.go.jp/hakusho_data/2017/html/nc008000.html
[2]https://warp.da.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/11502835/www.mod.go.jp/atla/souhon/supply/jisseki/choutatuyotei_pdf/32_yudou01.pdf#page=2
[3]https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/568930c0eb9a25421f719d53aaf3487a917c9c6c
[4]https://warp.da.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/11293660/www.mod.go.jp/atla/souhon/supply/jisseki/choutatuyotei_pdf/32_yudou30.pdf#page=2
[5]https://www.mod.go.jp/j/approach/hyouka/rev_suishin/h29_res/h28past/0039.xlsx
[6]https://warp.da.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/11293660/www.mod.go.jp/atla/souhon/supply/jisseki/choutatuyotei_pdf/41_yuchou30.pdf#page=4
[7]https://www.mod.go.jp/j/press/news/2020/12/25a.pdf#page=6
[8]https://warp.da.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/11373772/www.mod.go.jp/j/approach/hyouka/seisaku/28/pdf/jizen_02_honbun.pdf
[9]https://www.mod.go.jp/j/approach/hyouka/seisaku/2021/pdf/jizen_02_logic.pdf
[10]https://www.mod.go.jp/atla/soubiseisaku/vision/rd_vision_kaisetsuR0203_05.pdf#page=12
[11]https://www.mod.go.jp/atla/research/ats2019/doc/fukuda.pdf#page=page=11
Regards
wispywood2344
Hi wispywood2344 [at Oct 31, 2021, 12:29:00 AM]
ReplyDeleteI'll turn your fine comment into an article soon.
Regards
Pete