Reuters – Japan leans toward ending Afghan refueling mission
Japan’s defense minister said on Tuesday that Tokyo would end its refueling mission in support of U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan when its mandate expires, but the top government spokesman said a decision had yet to be made.
Daily Telegraph – Incoming Tokyo government threatens split with US
A split is emerging between the United States and Japan over the new Tokyo government’s anti-globalisation rhetoric and its threats to end a refueling agreement for US ships in support of the war in Afghanistan.
Washignton Post – Japan Readies Missile Defense System
Japan ordered its military on Friday to destroy a North Korean missile or its debris, if the launch fails and falling pieces of the rocket seem to imperil Japanese territory. Japan ordered two destroyers equipped with American-built Aegis anti-missile systems into the Sea of Japan, and said it would soon move Patriot land-to-air missiles to the country’s northern coast, over which the North Korean rocket is likely to fly.
…and the US Navy is standing by to assist: CNN – U.S., Japan mobilize for N. Korean launch
Associated Press – Japan orders ships to fight Somalia pirates
Japan’s defense minister Wednesday ordered the dispatch of ships to fight pirates off the shores of Somalia, joining countries ranging from the United States to Iran to China in the battle against the outlaws.
Defense Technology International – In a historic event considering the bitter conflict in the the previous century between the two nations, the first Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force warship to visit China since World War 2 arrived in the port of Zhangjiang on June 24, 2008.
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Associated Press – A Japanese navy destroyer departed Thursday to resume the country’s anti-terror mission in the Indian Ocean after a divisive battle in parliament caused a three-month suspension.
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Associated Press – Japan’s defense minister ordered the navy Friday to ready ships for dispatch to the Indian Ocean to join the fight on terror, ending a three-month hiatus but deepening a political battle at home with the opposition.
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BBC – Japan has for the first time shot down a ballistic missile in flight, testing a defence system aimed at warding off any missile threat from its neighbours.
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Associated Press – Japan’s Defense Ministry has denied a media report that it is planning to withdraw its naval mission to support U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan on Nov. 1, saying the government expects parliament to approve an extension before then.
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Aviation Week – The first flight of an all-new military aircraft is an unusual spectacle these days. Japan’s Kawasaki P-X patrol aircraft, the intended replacement for the country’s P-3s, took to the air on Friday.
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Associated Press – Japan’s navy on Saturday denied a report that Japan and the United States held a drill simulating a Chinese invasion of disputed islands during recent joint naval exercises.
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Naval War College Review – Postwar Japan is a case study in strategy making without a larger theoretical framework. Imperial Japanís attachment to Mahanian strategic theory did not outlive World War II. Japanís break with Mahanian thought, however, is occurring at a moment in history when Chinaís ambitions could usher in a new age of Mahan.
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Japan Times – Japan may withdraw the Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels providing logistic support in the Indian Ocean for naval vessels involved in the U.S.-led antiterror campaign in and around Afghanistan when the mission expires November 1.
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Air Force – For years, China pushed. Japan has finally pushed back. For the US, the consequences are large.
The Times – A row between Japan and China intensified yesterday as Tokyo took steps towards granting Japanese companies the right to test-drill for oil and gas in a disputed area of the East China Sea.
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BBC – China has apologised for what it called an accidental incursion by one of its submarines into Japanese waters last week, Tokyo has said.
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Asahi Shimbun – Japan on Friday requested an apology and explanation from China over a submarine that intruded into Japanese waters, but Tokyo restrained its protest to avoid further straining relations with Beijing.
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BBC – Japan’s navy is chasing an unidentified submarine which was spotted inside the country’s waters on Wednesday.
More from the Ashai Shimbun.
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BBC – Japan’s navy went on alert on Wednesday after an unidentified submarine – possibly Chinese – was spotted inside the country’s waters.
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Reuters – Japan’s navy was mobilized on Wednesday after an unidentified submarine was found in Japanese waters.
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Washington Post – As salty winds gusted off Tokyo Bay, a crack unit of Japanese commandos ascended the starboard ladder of a ship in a simulated hunt for weapons of mass destruction. They secured and patted down the crew, then searched the docked vessel until they uncovered its hidden cargo — a mock stash of sarin gas.
Seeking a more assertive role on the world stage, the Japanese government is now in the midst of a campaign to win a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council and transform its Self-Defense Forces into a full military.
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New York Times – More on the international naval interdiction drill, code-named Team Samurai, off of North Korea.
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Reuters – Ships from Japan, the United States, Australia and France steamed out to sea under cloudy skies on Tuesday for Asia’s first naval exercise to clamp down on weapons of mass destruction, a drill that communist North Korea has called hostile and provocative.
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Reuters – Japan extended its naval mission to provide logistical support to the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan by six months on Tuesday and approved a plan to supply fuel for the coalition’s helicopters.
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