Posted on 05/01/2017 7:50:42 AM PDT by MaxistheBest
Japan is sending its largest warship to protect a US vessel as it resupplies the strike group led by carrier Carl Vinson amid tensions with North Korea.
The 800ft helicopter carrier Izumo left its home port of Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, on Monday to escort the American vessel to the waters off Shikoku, around 400 miles away at the top end of Japan's south island.
The supply vessel, which is not being named, is believed to be in the region to support the 'armada' sent by President Trump to warn Kim Jong-un off conducting a sixth nuclear test.
The Izumo is Japan's largest vessel constructed since the Second World War, and its active deployment marks the first time new powers expanding the role of the country's military have been used.
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Jong-un has said his regime is capable of sinking the Nimitz-class Vinson and an accompanying submarine, the USS Ohio, with 'a single strike'.
The USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan and their accompanying strike groups are also being sent to the region after Trump promised to 'resolve' the North Korea issue.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Not counting the carrier strike groups, with the cruisers, destroyers and subs we will have 1200 to 1400 Tomahawk missiles in play.
Also 4 of the Ohio class subs have the SSGN conversion which includes this Special Forces application...notice the Special Forces pak on the USS Michigan (Ohio Class) which docked in Japan on 4/27/2017:
http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/24/politics/uss-michigan-nuclear-sub-south-korea/
This is not your average show of force!!!
Looks like the missiles are painted green- Eco-friendly!
This deployment is great to see, but it’s not clear to me how a helicopter carrier is going to protect anything from anti-ship missiles.
Sink the subs before they fire the missiles.
Not unless the helicopters are carrying ASW torpedoes. ASW = anti-submarine warfare.
I fail to see how a helicopter carrier is supposed to be such a great asset in the kind of war this is shaping up to be. In a boots-on-the-ground war, yes, but I rather doubt that is what the allied planners have in mind.
“not clear to me how a helicopter carrier is going to protect anything from anti-ship missiles.”
Pretty much every asset in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is about ASW (Anti-Surface Warfare) This ship exists to counter anti-ship missiles and submarines.
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
NOLQ-3D-1 EW suite
Mark 36 SRBOC
Anti-torpedo mobile decoy (MOD)
Floating acoustic jammer (FAJ)
Armament:
2 × Phalanx CIWS
2 × SeaRAM CIWS
Aircraft carried:
7 ASW helicopters and 2 SAR helicopters[1]
28 aircraft maximum
Yep - Li'l Kim's days may be shorter than anyone is prone to believe. While it would be very difficult, I'd be willing to wager we have "conversations" going on with some of his generals or those who have access.
“I’d be willing to wager we have “conversations” going on with some of his generals”
Yup...I’m sure China and South Korea have assets in country that can make that happen. The play could be to support a coup by moderate factions in the military. In the meantime it wouldn’t surprise me to see a few North Korean subs have some kind of deep sea accident.
And everyone realizes that a failed assassination of the short, bowl cut NK nutjob will bring executions in NK just like Hitler did after the failed bombing attempt on his life.
It has to be done right, just like the last coup in the US was conducted. When the balloon is dropped, the leader must die.
I actually dated a girl from Japan way back at GA Southern. That was interesting.
It's the biggest Japanese warship since WWII because the biggest Japanese warship of WWII was dispatched by the U.S. Navy.
Would be far better if it was a "clean kill" and those who did it were stable enough to be able to throw in the towel.
Plus F-22s, B-2, F-35s.. heck, the DPRK high altitude air defense system is so outdated and the first wave that’d be coming at them so intense, you could probably throw anything at them to rain JDAMs from high altitude.
The first wave will be historic in scale.
the biggest Japanese warship of WWII was dispatched by the U.S. Navy.
>Likewise its sister ship, the Musashi...sunk by Halsey. Yamato and Musashi, the two biggest battleships, and biggest main guns, ever built. Both dispatched by the US Navy.
As a former submariner...our greatest fear was getting detected and helos with sonobouys triangulating your position...You would be screwed.
Thanks for your post. Japan’s helicopter carrier would then indeed be a great asset in the kind of war this is shaping up to be.
Two More carrier groups? What groups are you talking about?
“Two More carrier groups? What groups are you talking about?”
Not for nothing but can you read??
“The USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan and their accompanying strike groups are also being sent to the region after Trump promised to ‘resolve’ the North Korean issue.”
Plus Japan has at least 6 Guided missile destroyers with the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System, capable of launching 96 Tomahawk missiles each!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_active_Japan_Maritime_Self-Defense_Force_ships
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