Japan, Navy: general information

Japan has always attracted close attention to its identity. Given the geographic location, great importance in this island country is attached to the development of the navy.

Total information

In total, the Japanese fleet employs slightly more than 45,500 military and 3,700 civilians. Of these, 8000 are part of the naval aviation. 1100 volunteers who have left military service at the end of contracts or length of service are assigned as a permanent reserve. About 12 thousand people work in the Office of Marine Safety (UBM).

As a small island nation, Japan has a fairly powerful fleet. The Navy, whose photo of individual units can be seen in the article, has an impressive number of ships and submarines in service. Of the main class warships, squadrons were formed, based mainly on the main naval base of Yokosuka.

• In the squadron with escort ships are four flotillas, which are assigned destroyers.
• The submarine division includes 2 groups of submarines.
• The base of two flotillas of minesweepers, besides the Yokosuka base, is also served by the Kure naval base.
• Flotillas engaged in the protection of coastal waters are deployed at military bases: Yokosuka, Kure, Sasebo, Maizuru and Ominato. There are only five such units. There are obsolete destroyers and frigates, amphibious ships, combat boats, auxiliary vessels.

The training of recruits is conducted on training ships.

In the Japanese Navy today there are a total of 447 units of various types of vessels and submarines. These are combat and patrol ships, boats and support ships, located, as already noted, at the main naval bases - Yokosuka, Sasebo, Cure, and auxiliary ones - Maizuru, Ominato and Hanshin.

Japan's Marine Self-Defense Forces also contain aviation. This aircraft - 190 units, and helicopters - 140 pieces. Of these, 86 patrol and anti-submarine aircraft P-3S Orion, as well as 79 SH-60J Seahawk helicopters.

Historical reference

Until 1945 there was the Imperial Navy of Japan. It was disbanded when World War II ended and the Japanese islands were under the influence of occupation by the allied forces. Japan, the Navy of which was re-established only in 1952, had the right to maintain it only as a self-defense force.

The Imperial Japanese Navy, which existed since 1869, actively manifested itself in the Japanese-Chinese (1894-1895), Russian-Japanese (1904-1905), First and Second World Wars.

Before the Second World War, Japan had the most powerful aircraft carrier fleet on the planet, consisting of 9 aircraft carriers, then there were only seven of them in the North American Navy, four of which were deployed in the Atlantic Ocean. The displacement of Japanese battleships class "Yamato" was the largest in the world. At the same time, Japan, whose navy had the most modern Zero fighter for deck aviation, still lagged far behind the United States in terms of the number of battleships and other types of ships in the fleet, except aircraft carriers. The industrial capacity of Japan was also much lower than the US. In total in 1941, Japan had in service 10 battleships, 9 aircraft carriers, 35 cruisers, 103 destroyers and 74 submarines. Accordingly, the US and British Air Force and Navy against Japan were able to produce much more powerful forces in the Second World War.

Completely the process of eliminating the Japanese imperial fleet after the defeat in the war was completed by 1947.

The tasks of the newly created fleet

Created in the framework of the self-defense forces, the Japanese navy was intended to:

• To conduct combat operations with the enemy's ship and air groupings to obtain dominant influence on the sea and ocean waters off the coast of Japan;
• Block the strait zones in the Okhotsk, East China and the Sea of Japan;
• To conduct naval landing operations and support land units in the maritime direction;
• Protect maritime communications, defend naval bases, bases, ports and coast.

On peaceful days, the ships of the Navy of Japan protect state territorial waters, maintain a favorable operational regime in the thousand-mile ocean zone and carry sentinel service, together with the Maritime Security Administration.

Features of the Japanese Navy

The Japanese constitution to date prohibits the forces of self-defense to possess units of offensive weapons (aircraft carriers, cruise missiles, etc.). At the same time, the military-political elite of the country, the framework established by the results of the war, becomes close.

The presence of territorial disputes with such neighboring states as Russia and China provoke the Japanese to create a full-fledged navy that would be equipped with all modern weapons. Of course, this fact is given maximum masking by the Japanese leadership.

Today, the naval composition and armament of the Japanese Navy is clearly being intensively expanded and updated. Modern weapons complexes are being manufactured in North America or unified, with the US naval forces in service.

Japan: Navy (structural composition)

The commander of the Japanese naval forces is the commander, he is also the chief of staff, who has the rank of admiral.

Structurally, the Navy of Japan consists of a headquarters, a fleet, five military maritime areas, a training aviation command, as well as formations, units and institutions under central control. The location of the headquarters is an administrative complex in the capital of the state, which also houses control posts for other branches of the armed forces and the Ministry of Defense.

In total, the staff includes 700 employees, of which about six hundred - officers and admirals.

The fleet consists of:

• Headquarters, located at the naval base of Yokosuka;
• Three commands - escort, underwater and aviation;
• A fleet of minesweepers;
• Intelligence groups;
• Experience group;
• Oceanographic units;
• Patrol squad special purpose.

In the naval fleet there are a little more than a hundred warships. Here is a list of some items:

• Diesel submarines - 16 pieces;
• Destroyers - 44 pieces;
• Frigates - 8 pieces;
• Landing ships - 7 pcs .;
• Minesweepers - about 39 pcs.

The fleet is under the command of Vice Admiral.

Structure of escort forces

The escort forces, under the command of the vice-admiral, are headed by the headquarters stationed on the territory of the naval base in Yokosuka.

In submission he has:

• flagship;
• Four flotillas with destroyers, located at the bases of Yokosuka, Sasebo, Kure and Maizuru;
• Six separate divisions of destroyers or frigates;
• Units with amphibious ships;
• Supply transports;
• The ships providing combat training;
• study group.

At the head of the flotillas are the rear admirals, who are subordinated to the respective headquarters and 4 destroyers, united in divisions divided into two types.

The first division consists of:

• A destroyer-helicopter carrier;
• Destroyer with guided weapons;
• Two conventional destroyers.

The second type includes three ordinary destroyers and one with a guided missile charge.

In separate battalions there are from two to five vessels. The location of the ships belonging to the division of frigates (destroyers) is one of the naval bases.

For ships included in the supply division, a dislocation is allowed on various bases.

Separate groups of landing ships are equipped with helicopter docks "Osumi", which are located on the base of the Kure. In addition, each division includes six boats with an air cushion and intended for landing.

The training group includes a headquarters located in Yokosuka, and five training squads disbanded on various bases.

Composition of underwater forces

The commander of the underwater forces has the rank of vice-admiral and directs the following military units:

• A headquarters based on Yokosuka;
• Two flotillas with submarines, located there and on the base of the Kura;
• The training center of submariners and the training division.

Each flotilla is under the command of the Rear Admiral, who is also subordinated to all servicemen at the headquarters, on the flagship submarine floating submarine, in two or three submarine battalions (each comprising 3-4 submarines).

Structure of aviation forces

The location of the air command is the Atsugi air base.

Structurally, it consists of such units:

• Headquarters;
• Seven aircraft wings;
• Three separate squadrons;
• Three units: two aircraft repair and air traffic control unit;
• One mobile engineering company located at the Hachinohe airbase.

The commander of aviation forces is the vice-admiral. The chief of staff and commanders of wing wings are rear admirals.

Aircraft wings consist of:

• Headquarters;
• Four squadrons: patrol, search and rescue, subunits of anti-submarine helicopters and electronic warfare ;
• The engineering and aviation support and supply groups;
• Detachments for airfield and technical support.

The 31st wing is subject to a special detachment containing unmanned target aircraft. In the air squadron there are from one to three air and technical units. The patrol air squadrons in each air wing are armed with the R-3S Orion base aircraft. SH-60 models are deployed in squadrons with anti-submarine helicopters. In search and rescue squadrons there are up to three detachments with helicopters UH-60J.

Structure of the fleet of minesweepers

The fleet of minesweepers obeys the commander-the rear admiral. It consists of a headquarters, four divisions (three - base and one - sea minesweepers), two shiploads of mineswalves and a detachment for mine work. Each division includes from two to three ships.

Structure of other groups

The experience-group is commanded by the Rear Admiral.

The composition of the unit is

• Headquarters in Yokosuka;
• Division of ships;
• Three centers: the first - on the development and design of vessels, the second - for control and communication systems, the third - a testing laboratory for ship armament with a test site in Kagoshima.

The ocean group, except for the headquarters, the anti-submarine defense center, the meteorological support group and the two shore sonar stations, also includes ships for hydrographic research, hydroacoustic observations and cable laying.

The reconnaissance group includes the headquarters and three divisions (for collecting operational information, conducting information and analytical activities, and reconnaissance by radio electronic means).

The special task patrol squad has the following tasks:

• To detain and inspect vessels violating territorial coastal borders;
• To fight against terrorist and sabotage groups;
• Carrying out reconnaissance and sabotage activities.

The Navy of Japan vs the Russian Navy

Many specialists try to make a comparative analysis of the Japanese and Russian fleets. At the same time, it is taken into account that Japan has about a hundred ships and is on the second place in terms of the number of destroyers. In particular, there are two missile destroyers (10 thousand tons of displacement) and the helicopter carrier Izuto (27 thousand tons). Japan, whose navy is of a peacekeeping nature, has a specialization - antisubmarine and anti-aircraft defense. The total displacement of the Japanese fleet is 405.8 thousand tons.

The Russian fleet with a displacement of 927,120 tons has in service ships left over from the times of the Soviet Union. The newest destroyer is 20 years old, the oldest is 50 years old, but all submarines underwent modernization, and they were equipped with modern military equipment. Unfortunately, more than half of the ship's composition is subject to modernization and replacement.