Pete Comments
In its Central Asian region Russia maintains powerful forces of nuclear armed long range bombers and ICBMs. Russia's Pacific Fleet also contains many SSKs, SSNs and SSBNs all a potential threat to Japan. China is rapidly increasing its conventional and nuclear naval forces to rival Russia's with China also presenting many potential threats to Japan. North Korea is also a threat with steadily improving and potentially nuclear armed long range missiles - sometimes being test flown over Japan's home islands and territorial waters.
In the face of this Japan is increasing its defense budget to amounts and percentages of GDP not seen since World War Two. See Naval News' August 31, 2023 article "Japan Requests Largest Defense Budget Ever".
Japan’s Fiscal Year FY2024 Defense budgetary request of 7.7 Trillion Yen (US$52.9 Billion), an increase over FY2023’s budget of US$46.8 billion.
But when one compares US$52.9 Billion with Japan's US$4,410 Billion 2023 nominal GDP Japan's defense budget is still only 1.2 percent of Japan's
GDP. Yet Japan's defense budget is growing rapidly. Japan's defense industry is
also highly efficient.
Aegis system equipped vessel (ASEV). (Courtesy Japan MoD image via NavalNews).
Amongst items requested are
Modifications of Japan’s JS Izumo and JS Kaga defacto aircraft carriers (US$290 million) to better accommodate F-35Bs. Modification of Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol
aircraft (MPA) to emphasize electronic
warfare (US$95.7 million).
wispywood2344
To meet these threats Japan is gradually improving its high tech defenses. To that end long term contributor wispywood2344 on September 9, 2023, reports on three weapon systems:
Among the 17 R&D projects included in Japan’s Fiscal Year FY2024 Defense
budgetary request, I would like to introduce matters related to "Submarine
Matters".[1] 
A) Combat Support Multipurpose Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) [2].
The outline is as follows:
1. Selective equipment; sensor (possibly sonar and ESM antenna),
anti-ship-missiles, anti-submarine-torpedoes, etc. .
2. Submersible for stealth.
3. Remotely controlled via SATCOM.
4. Automatic navigation in bad sea state.
5. Able to act as a fleet" in cooperation with multiple USVs.
6. This project will cost 24.5B yen (US$167,587,355 in total and complete by FY2030.
[NavalNews reports: To quickly acquire knowledge of USV operation and promote the development of domestically produced USVs, the Japanese defense budget calls for the procurement of USVs that have been used in various countries as test equipment.]
B) Improvement of Type12 Lightweight Torpedo (LWT) (photo above) [3].
The outline is as follows;
1. Add anti-torpedo (hard-kill) capability to Type 12 Lightweight Torpedo (LWT).
2. Improve the surface ship sonar, to enable effective operation of
improved Type 12 LWT.
3. This project will cost 12.5B yen (US$85,525,746) in total and complete by FY2029.
Artwork courtesy Raytheon of a GPI concept (via NavalNews).
---
C) Japan-U.S. joint development of
"Glide-Phase-Interceptor" (GPI) [4].
The Japanese MoD starts development of land-based Glide Phase Interceptor system (artwork above) used against Hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) this year. [5][6][7]
[Project may cost equivalent to US$512.7 million]. From next year onward, it will participate in the US's ongoing development project of sea-based GPI system. Also see here and here.]
In my opinion, Japan will be responsible for the upper stage rocket motor, similar to the Japan-US jointly developed SM-3 Block IIA. [see references to Japan here.]
[1] https://www.mod.go.jp/j/policy/hyouka/seisaku/2023/jizen.html
[2] https://www.mod.go.jp/j/policy/hyouka/seisaku/2023/pdf/jizen_01_honbun.pdf
[3] https://www.mod.go.jp/j/policy/hyouka/seisaku/2023/pdf/jizen_16_honbun.pdf
[4] https://www.mod.go.jp/j/policy/hyouka/seisaku/2023/pdf/jizen_17_honbun.pdf
[5] https://www.mod.go.jp/j/approach/hyouka/seisaku/2022/pdf/jizen_12_logic.pdf
[6] https://www.mod.go.jp/j/approach/hyouka/seisaku/2022/pdf/jizen_01_logic.pdf
[7] [See cool animated video of a GPI in action] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzUFHvvUNGU#t=3h09m31s
7 comments:
Hi Pete
In a related domain the Indonesian Navy is clearly getting "serious" (another sign)in sub, as it is setting up a submarine rescue system similar (if not very close ) to the European NRSS
Orders have been placed for the support ship as well as for the British SVR-F Mk3 rescue vehicle (dozens of personnel per ride,down to 600 m)
The NRSS system is a joint Norvegian, French and British navy.It involves since about 2010 a standby vehicle in Faslane (Clyde),a transport system typically thru A400M, support ships, common mating system and, as important if not more, training programms for the crews
Open to third parties on request..Objective is to intervene in less than 72 hr anywhere
NSRS is the correct acronym
Thanks Anonymous at 9/12/2023 6:53 PM and 9/12/2023 6:57 PM
About "NSRS" the NATO Submarine Rescue System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_Submarine_Rescue_System
Flying a NSRS all the way from Western Europe may indeed take too long. So countries on the Equator and in the Southern Hemisphere, having rescue ships, remotely operated vehicles and manned rescue vehicles makes sense.
Accidents sadly happen as the fate of KRI Nanggala tragically illustrated. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KRI_Nanggala_(402)#Sinking
Here is the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) website on Submarine Rescue Vehicles https://www.navy.gov.au/fleet/ships-boats-craft/submarines/submarine-rescue-vehicles and about the 2 Australian rescue ships https://www.navy.gov.au/mv-besant
Regards Pete
Hi Pete
The Dutch Min of Defense, Ms Ollongren,just presented in DSEI London the Dutch/British MRSS ship project in more details.This a well armed assault ship..
This confirms the "oceanic" posture of the Dutch Navy, not a surprise in light of its history and its regarded status in Nato.There is no justification for such a boat in N Europe
This confirms also the close integration , again no surprise , of the RN and the KM..
As for Walrus replacement this will be obviously an ocaeanic/expeditionary sub..(SAAB/Damen and NG Barracuda are offering a DDS for commando/combats divers.)
Saab Damen should get that order with their offer inmy opinion
Pete (sorry different topic)
I think recent events in Ukraine are relevant to subs. This article explains the recent Ukrainian attack using Stormshadow/SCALP ALCMs on the Russian naval dry dock in Sevastopol. It is now clear that damaged inflicted on both the LST Minsk and the Kilo Submarine Rostov on Don is catastrophic. The Stormshadow/Scalp hit on Rostov penetrated the SSK’s pressure hull and detonated internally (thanks to tandem warhead), destroying the subs machinery, making it a write-off.
Whilst a bad day for one SSK, I would argue that this attack only confirms that submarines armed with missiles (SLCM or SSM) are now the preeminent form of naval weapon, if they were not already.
- Stormshadow/SCALP are now accurate enough to identify and reliably hit individual ship-sized targets (or smaller).
- Stealthy ALCM/SLCM or SSM appear to be quite difficult to detect and shoot-down in the required tactical engagement time.
- The warhead on such missiles is sufficiently large and deadly to be catastrophic to medium sized warships
- Presumably the same is true of other comparably modern and large missiles
- Submarines are still the only form of warship (if at sea!) that can evade easy detection and targeting for such attacks.
Hi Anonymous at 9/21/2023 6:42 PM
Rostov's destruction certainly shows submarines are at their most vulnerable when sitting surfaced in a predictable place, like a drydock.
As Ukraine also disabled the Russian S-300 SAM defences meant to cover Sevastopol port, Ukrainian missiles rained down mostly unhindered. Another successful Ukrainian operation with Ukrainian ops becoming increasingly complex and ambitious.
A submarine is always safer when fully submerged.
Cheers Pete
Here's more details https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66805897 about Ukraine destroying the Russian SAM defences immediately prior to the successful missile hits on the LST Minsk and Kilo Submarine Rostov on Don.
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