| Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force | |
|---|---|
| 海上自衛隊 (Japanese) | |
 Emblem of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force | |
| Founded | 1 July 1954; 70 years ago (1954-07-01)[1] |
| Country |  Japan |
| Type | Navy |
| Role | Naval warfare |
| Size | 50,800 personnel 150+ ships[2][3] 346 aircraft[4] |
| Part of |  Japan Self-Defense Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | Ichigaya,Shinjuku,Tokyo, Japan |
| March | Gunkan kōshinkyokuPlayⓘ |
| Fleet | 2light aircraft carriers 2helicopter carriers 22submarines 36destroyers 10frigates 6destroyer escorts 4landing ships 30minesweepers 6patrol boats 8training ships (21auxiliaries) |
| Website | mod.go.jp |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-Chief | Prime MinisterShigeru Ishiba |
| Minister of Defense | Gen Nakatani |
| Chief of Staff, Joint Staff | GeneralYoshihide Yoshida |
| Chief of Staff, Maritime Self-Defense Force | Admiral Akira Saitō |
| Insignia | |
| Commissioning pennant |  |
| Ensign |  |
TheJapan Maritime Self-Defense Force (Japanese:海上自衛隊,Hepburn:Kaijō Jieitai), abbreviatedJMSDF (海自,Kaiji),[5] also simply known as theJapanese Navy,[6] is themaritime warfare branch of theJapan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of theImperial Japanese Navy (IJN) afterWorld War II.[7] The JMSDF has a fleet of 154 ships, 346 aircraft and 50,800 personnel.
FollowingJapan's defeat inWorld War II, theImperial Japanese Navy was dissolved by thePotsdam Declaration acceptance. Ships were disarmed, and some of them, such as the battleshipNagato, were taken by the Allied Powers as reparations. 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 theSecond Bureau of the Demobilization Ministry.[8] Theminesweeping fleet was eventually transferred to the newly formedMaritime Safety Agency, which helped maintain the resources and expertise of the navy.
Japan's1947 Constitution was drawn up after the conclusion of the war, which containedArticle 9, which specified 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 toCold War pressures, theUnited States was also happy for Japan to provide part of its own defense, rather than have it fully rely onAmerican forces.
In 1952, theSafety Security Force was formed within theMaritime 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 theJapan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF), following the passage of the 1954 Self-Defense Forces Law.
The first ships in the JMSDF were formerU.S. Navy 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 theSoviet Navy's sizable and powerful submarine fleet, the JMSDF was primarily tasked with an anti-submarine role.
Following the end of theCold War, the role of the JMSDF has vastly changed. In 1991, after international pressure, the JMSDF dispatched four minesweepers, a fleet oiler (JDSTokiwa) and a minesweeping tender (JDSHayase) to the Persian Gulf in the aftermath of theGulf War, under the name of Operation Gulf Dawn, to clear mines sown bySaddam Hussein's defending forces.[9] Starting with a mission to Cambodia in 1993 when JSDF personnel were supported byJDSTowada,[9] it has been active in a number ofUN-led peacekeeping operations throughout Asia.
In 1993, the JMSDF commissioned its firstAegis-equipped destroyer,Kongō. 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-ledOperation Enduring Freedom.
.jpg)
The JMSDF, along with theJapan Coast Guard, has also been active in preventingNorth Korean infiltrators from reaching Japan and on 22 December 2001,engaged and sank a North Koreanspy ship in theBattle of Amami-Ōshima.[10]
In 2002, the JMSDF deployed ships to theArabian Sea in support ofOperation Anaconda during theWar in Afghanistan.[11]
In August 2003, a new "helicopter carrier" class was ordered, theHyūga-classhelicopter destroyer. Due to the size and features of the ship, including a full-lengthflight deck, it was classified as ahelicopter carrier byLloyd's Register — similar to theUnited Kingdom'sHMS Ocean. There was discussion about whether anaircraft carrier would be prohibited byArticle 9 of the Japanese Constitution, since aircraft carriers are generally considered offensive weapons. The Self-Defense Forces are not allowed to possessICBMs,strategic bombers, or attack aircraft carriers.[12]
Historically (until about 1975 in theU.S. Navy) 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 withNorth Korea following the 1993 test of theNodong-1 missile and the 1998 test of the Taepodong-1 missile over northern Japan, the JMSDF has increased its efforts inair defense. A ship-basedanti-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", theIzumo-class helicopter destroyer. The first one of these ships was laid down in 2012[13][14][15] and was launched on 6 August 2013.[16]
Thesubmarine 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.[17] In 2010 it was announced that the Japanese submarine fleet would be increased in size for the first time in 36 years.[18]
After a meeting between theJapanese Foreign MinisterFumio Kishida (Second Abe Cabinet) and U.S. Ambassador to JapanCaroline Kennedy on 4 March 2014, theJapanese Defense Ministry andU.S. Department of Defense 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 ahigh-speed trimaran designed for operations in shallow coastal waters capable of carrying helicopters, possibly a lighter variant of the American 3,000-tonne (3,000-long-ton)littoral combat ship.[19]
The study was conducted in response to the growth of the ChinesePeople'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 theSenkaku Islands and other contested areas in theEast China Sea, and possibly counter similar Chinese vessels like theType 056 corvette andType 022 missile boat. A 1,000-tonne (980-long-ton) J-LCS with an enlarged hull could operate theSH-60K anti-submarine helicopter or the MCH-101 airborne mine countermeasures (AMCM) helicopter.[19]
On May 1 2017,JS Izumo was dispatched to protect aU.S. Navy supply vessel in the Pacific. This was the first time the JMSDF was used to defend allied vessels since the 2016 amendment to the Japanese Constitution.[20]
Japan christened the 84 m (275 ft 7 in) long, 2,950 t (2,900-long-ton)JSŌryū submarine on October 4 2018. It is Japan's first submarine powered bylithium-ion batteries and was developed byMitsubishi Heavy Industries. It was commissioned in March 2020.[21]
Japan and the United States conducted the biggest military exercise around Japan 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 theU.S. Armed Forces. A naval supply ship and a frigate of theRoyal Canadian Navy also participated. There were simulations of air combat, ballistic missile defense and amphibious landings.[22]
On 18 December 2018, Japan announced it would refit theIzumo-class destroyers to carry US-designedF-35B fighter jets.[23] This makes themde factoaircraft carriers. To avoid controversy, the ruling parties call it a "multi-purpose operation destroyer". It would be the first such ship in the JMSDF sinceWorld War II.[24]
On 23 May 2019, retired MSDF vice-admiral Toshiyuki Ito stated that Japan requires at least fourIzumo-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." Asaircraft carriers, theIzumo-class destroyers are relatively small, only able to carry approximately 10 F-35Bs, which Ito argued were too few to provide effective air defense.[25]
In 2019, theNational Diet of Japan approved 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 theJapan 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 JapaneseIzumo class after the STOVL modifications and refit.[26]
On October 14 2020, the 3,000-ton submarineTaigei was unveiled. This is the first vessel of theTaigei class and the 22nd submarine vessel of the JMSDF. TheTaigei entered service in 2022, and the second ship of the class,Hakugei, was commissioned in 2023.[27]
.jpg)
On 30 June 2022, theJapan Ministry of Defense announced the construction of12 offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) byJapan Marine United Corporation (JMU) for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) at a cost of ¥ 9 billion (US$66 million) per ship. The purpose of this OPV program is to provide enhanced maritime security, particularly around the southwesternRyukyu Islands, including thedisputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in theEast 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-stateintelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (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.[28][29]
On August 31 2022, theJapan Ministry of Defense 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 largestsurface combatant warships operated by the JMSDF, and according toPopular Mechanics, they will "arguably [be] the largest deployable surface warships in the world".[30][31][32][33]
On 16 November 2022, the guided-missile destroyerMaya 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, theHaguro likewise fired an SM-3 Block IB missile with a successful hit outside the atmosphere. Both test firings were conducted at thePacific Missile Range Facility onKauai Island, Hawaii, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy andU.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 newestMaya-class destroyers.[34]
On 16 December 2022,Second Kishida Reshuffled Cabinet approved a trio of defense-related policy documents, including its new National Security Strategy (NSS or 国家安全保障戦略), the strategic guideline document for the Japanese government's policies regarding diplomacy, defense, and economic security for the next decade. Based on the NSS, the National Defense Strategy (国家防衛戦略) outlined Japan's defense policy goals and the means to achieve them while the Defense Buildup Program (防衛力整備計画) outlined the scale of the introduction of specific defense equipment within the budgetary objectives. According to the Defense Buildup Program, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) will increase the number of Aegis-equipped guided-missile destroyers (DDG) from the current eight to ten, as well as two Aegis system-equipped vessels (ASEV) to be deployed in ballistic missile defense (BMD) operations. By the end of the decade, the JMSDF will operate 12 ships equipped withAegis Weapon System (AWS) and likewise plans to replace its fleet of older, less capable destroyers anddestroyer escorts withMogami-class frigates.[35]
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 toJapan's economic development and an end to theCold War, the JMSDF became the world's fourth largest navy by total tonnage by 2000.[36] Japan has the eighth largestExclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the world,[37] 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 itsanti-submarine warfare andminesweeping capabilities. Defense planners believe the most effective approach to combating hostilesubmarines entails mobilizing all available weapons, including surface combatants, submarines,patrol planes, andhelicopters. They are also known to operate at least fourteen listening stations all over the country that have ELINT and marine surveillance radar warning systems.[38]
Historically, theJapan Air Self-Defense Force (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-basedantiaircraft warfare protection is limited by the absence ofaircraft carriers, though itsdestroyers andfrigates equipped with theAegis combat system provide a formidable capability in antiaircraft andantimissile 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.
Long-range strike capability will be introduced as soon as Tomahawk cruise missiles are deployed on JMSDF destroyers.[39]
_conducts_a_replenishment_at_sea_(RAS)_with_the_guided-missile_cruiser_USS_Anzio_(CG_68).jpg)
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).[40] 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 PersianGulf War. 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 theJapanese Diet.
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 MinisterYukio Hatoyama refused to renew the law authorizing the mission, ignoring requests from the American government for continuation. Both the Western alliance country typified by theRoyal Australian Navy and theRoyal Danish Navy, doing friendship activities in the Indian Ocean.[41]
In May 2010, Japan announced its intention to build a permanent naval base inDjibouti, from which it will conduct operations to protect merchant shipping fromSomali pirates.[42]
_in_formation_with_USS_George_Washington_in_the_East_China_Sea_after_Keen_Sword_2013%2c_-16_Nov._2012_a.jpg)
The JMSDF and theU.S. Navy 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".[43] The JMSDF participates inRIMPAC, 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 RussianVladivostok harbor in July 1996 to participate in theRussian Navy's 300th Anniversary Naval Review. In return,Admiral Vinogradov, anUdaloy-class destroyer, called atTokyo Bay in June 1997. The JMSDF has also conducted joint naval exercises with theIndian Navy.
On 16 December 2022, theJapanese Cabinet approved a trio of defense-related policy documents, including its new National Security Strategy (NSS or 国家安全保障戦略), the strategic guideline document for the Japanese government's policies regarding diplomacy, defense, and economic security for the next decade. Based on the NSS, the National Defense Strategy (NDS or 国家防衛戦略) document outlined Japan's defense policy goals and the means to achieve them while the Defense Buildup Program (DBP or 防衛力整備計画) document outlined the scale of the introduction of specific defense equipment within the budgetary objectives. According to the Defense Buildup Program document, the JMSDF will increase the number of Aegis-equipped guided-missile destroyers (DDG) from the current 8 to 10 warships, as well as the introduction of two Aegis system-equipped vessels (ASEV) to be deployed in ballistic missile defense (BMD) operations. By the end of the decade, the JMSDF will operate 12 ships equipped withAegis Weapon System (AWS) and likewise plans to replace its fleet of older, less capable destroyers anddestroyer escorts withMogami-class frigates.[44][45][46][47]
On 23 December 2022, the Japanese Ministry of Defense's 2023 budget and program guidance documented provided examples of operations (運用の一例) for the Aegis-equipped naval forces of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (MSDF). The two ASEV warship would be exclusively tasked for dedicated ballistic missile defense (BDM) missions (BMD等) and operate off the Korean peninsula in theSea of Japan, allowing the other Aegis guided-missile destroyers to meet other contingencies (侵攻阻止) while operating independently to maintain themaritime domain awareness (MDA) and keep thesea lines of communication (SLOC) open in theEast China Sea southwest of the Japanese home islands (pictured).[48][49][50]
On 6 October 2022, five warships from the United States, Japan, and South Korea held a multilateral ballistic missile defense exercise in theSea of Japan (pictured) as part of the military response toongoing North Korean intermediate-range ballistic missile tests over the Japanese home islands.[51][52] On 16 November 2022, the guided-missile destroyerMaya 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. Two days later, theHaguro fired an SM-3 Block IB missile with a successful hit outside the atmosphere. Both test firings were conducted at the U.S.Pacific Missile Range Facility onKauai Island, Hawaii, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy andU.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 newestMaya-class destroyers.[53][54]
On 22 February 2023, five warships from the United States, Japan, and South Korea held a multilateral ballistic missile defense exercise in theSea of Japan in response to the launch of a North KoreanHwasong-15 ballistic missile on 18 February 2023, landing inJapan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the Sea of Japan, in an area 125 miles west of the island ofŌshima, which lies 30 miles (48 km) west of the main island ofHokkaido. Two additional IBCBMs were subsequently launched on 20 February 2023, with both landing in the Sea of Japan off the east coast of theKorean Peninsula.[55] On 19 December 2023, United States, Japan, and South Korea announced the activation of a real-time North Korea missile warning system as well as jointly established a multi-year trilateral exercise plan in response to North Korea's continued ballistic missile launches.[56][57]
Theship prefixJDS (Japanese Defense Ship) was used until 2008, at which time JMSDF ships started using the prefixJS (Japanese Ship) to reflect the upgrade of the Japanese Defense Agency to theMinistry of Defense. The JMSDF operates two multi-purpose operation destroyers (de factoaircraft carriers), twohelicopter carriers (calledhelicopter destroyers), 36destroyers, sixfrigates, sixdestroyer escorts, 23attack submarines, 19mine countermeasure vessels, sixpatrol vessels, threelanding ship tanks, seven training vessels, and a fleet of variousauxiliary ships. The fleet has a total displacement of approximately 624,000 tonnes, excluding auxiliary vessels.
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.
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 atYokosuka, consists of the JMSDF's military shipping. It is composed of Fleet Escort Force, based inYokosuka,Sasebo,Maizuru andKure, theFleet Air Force headquartered atAtsugi, theFleet Submarine Force based at Yokosuka and Kure, the Mine Warfare Force based at Yokosuka and the Fleet Training Command at Yokosuka.[58]
In March 2018,Ryoko Azuma became the first female squadron commander in the JMSDF. Her unit includes the flagshipIzumo, the largest warship in the JMSDF. She commands four warships making up a division with a total of 1,000 crew members.[59]
Each Escort Flotilla is formed as a fleet of eight destroyers and eight on-board helicopters. 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.
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. 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 tend to be purpose built vessels. Each district has a number of minesweeping ships.
The Fleet Air Force is tasked with patrol, ASW and rescue tasks. It is composed primarily of 7 aviation groups. Prominent bases are maintained atKanoya,Hachinohe,Atsugi,Naha,Tateyama,Omura andIwakuni. The Fleet Air Force is built up mainly with patrol aircraft such as theLockheed P-3 Orion, rescue aircraft such as theUS-1A and helicopters such as theSH-60J. In the JMSDF, helicopters deployed to each escort force are actually members of Fleet Air Force squadrons based on land.
Special Forces units consist of the following:
The rank insignia ofcommissioned officers.
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force[60] | .svg)  | .svg)  | .svg)  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
| 幕僚長たる海将 Bakuryōchō-taru-kaishō | 海将 Kaishō | 海将補 Kaishō-ho | 1等海佐 Ittō kaisa | 2等海佐 Nitō kaisa | 3等海佐 Santō kaisa | 1等海尉 Ittō kaii | 2等海尉 Nitō kaii | 3等海尉 Santō kaii | 准海尉 Jun kaii | |||||||||||||||
The rank insignia ofnon-commissioned officers andenlisted personnel.
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force[60] | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 海曹長 Kaisōchō | 1等海曹 Ittō kaisō | 2等海曹 Nitō kaisō | 3等海曹 Santō kaisō | 海士長 Kaishichō | 1等海士 Ittō kaishi | 2等海士 Nitō kaishi | 自衛官候補生 Jieikan kōhosei | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The JMSDF has maintained some historic links with theImperial Japanese Navy.[citation needed] Today's JMSDF continues to use the same martial songs, naval flags, signs, and technical terms as the IJN.[citation needed] The JMSDF still uses the Warship March, the old service march of the IJN, as its official service march.[citation needed] It also maintains the IJNbugle calls tradition, as every ship and shore establishment command maintain a platoon or squad ofbugle players.[citation needed]
TheImperial Japanese Navy first adopted theoff-set naval ensignJyūrokujō-Kyokujitsu-ki (十六条旭日旗) on May 15, 1870, and it was used until the end of World War II in 1945. On June 30, 1954, when theJSDF was established, the JSDF andJGSDF adopted a differentrising sun flag with 8-rays and an 8:9 ratio.[61][62] 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 #b12d3d) while the post-WW2 version is brighter red (RGB #bd0029).[61]
Curry was brought to Japan fromIndia by theRoyal Navy.[63] TheImperial Japanese Navy adopted curry to preventberiberi.[63] The recipe ofJapanese curry was gradually arranged in Japan by chefs.[64] It is also an excellent recipe, nutritious, easy to cook in mass quantity, and reportedly delicious.[64]
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force continues this tradition with curry as the Friday menu.[63] Japanese curry was changed and adapted drastically to become a uniquely Japanese dish.[65]
The ship prefixJDS (Japanese Defense Ship) was used until 2008, at which time JMSDF ships started using the prefixJS (Japanese Ship) to reflect the upgrade of the Japanese Defense Agency to the Ministry of Defense.[citation needed]
Ships of the JMSDF, known asJapan Ships (自衛艦; Ji'ei-Kan), are classified according to the following criteria:
| Class | Type | Symbol | Building # | # | Naming | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major class | Minor class | |||||
| Combatant Ship | Principle Surface Combatants | Frigate | FFM | 1- | Names of the rivers | |
| Destroyer | DD | 1601- | 101- | Names of natural phenomena in the heavens or the atmosphere, mountains, rivers or regions | ||
| Destroyer escort | DE | 1201- | 201- | |||
| Destroyer, Guided Missile | DDG | 173- | Names of places in Japan, such as mountains and provinces | |||
| Destroyer, Helicopter | DDH | 141- 181- | ||||
| Submarine | Submarine | SS | 8001- | 501- | Names of natural phenomena in the ocean or maritime animals | |
| Mine Warfare Ship | Minesweeper Ocean | MSO | 201- | 301- | Names of islands, straits, channels or one that added a number to the type | |
| Minesweeper Coast | MSC | 301- | 601- | |||
| Minesweeping Controller | MCL | - | 721- | |||
| Minesweeper Tender | MST | 462- | 461- | |||
| Patrol Combatant Craft | Patrol Guided Missile Boat | PG | 821- | 821- | Names of birds, grass or one that added a number to the type | |
| Patrol Boat | PB | 921- | 901- | |||
| Amphibious Ship | Landing Ship, Tank | LST | 4101- | 4001- | Names of peninsulas, capes or one that added a number to the type | |
| Landing Ship Utility | LSU | 4171- | 4171- | |||
| Landing Craft Utility | LCU | 2001– | 2001– | |||
| Landing Craft Air Cushioned | LCAC | - | 2001– | |||
| Auxiliary Ship | Auxiliary Ship | Training Ship | TV | 3501- | 3501- | Names of places of natural beauty and historic interest or one that added a number to the type or the model |
| Training Submarine | TSS | - | - | |||
| Training Support Ship | ATS | 4201- | 4201- | |||
| Multipurpose Support Ship | AMS | - | - | |||
| Oceanographic Research Ship | AGS | 5101- | 5101- | |||
| Ocean Surveillance Ship | AOS | 5201- | 5201- | |||
| Ice breaker | AGB | 5001- | 5001- | |||
| Cable Repairing Ship | ARC | 1001- | 481- | |||
| Submarine Rescue Ship | ASR | 1101- | 401- | |||
| Submarine Rescue Tender | AS | 1111- | 405- | |||
| Experimental Ship | ASE | 6101- | 6101- | |||
| Fast Combat Support Ship | AOE | 4011- | 421- | |||
| Service Utility Ship | ASU | - | 7001- | |||
| Service Utility Craft | ASU | 81- | 61- | |||
| Service Yacht | ASY | 91- | 91- | |||
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-yearNational Defense Academy, and particularly outstanding enlisted personnel undergo a one-year officer course at theOfficer Candidate School atEtajima, site of the former Imperial Naval Academy. The JMSDF 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.[58]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)In English.
In English.
English language version; hereafter as MOD FY23 Budget Overview.
In Japanese (防衛力整備計画).
| Leadership | |
|---|---|
| Personnel | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
