On December 12, 2019, Japan Marine United (JMU) held a launching ceremony for the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) newest minesweeper Etajima (MSO-306) at its shipyard in Yokohama.
Japan plans to send one escort ship, one patrol aircraft and 270 sailors from the Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) to the northern part of the Arabian Sea to protect international merchant vessels, the Nikkei business daily said yesterday.
In a move to flex muscles against regional threats, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) are conducting an isolated island recovery exercice from November 14 to 21, 2019.
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace has entered into a follow-on contract with Japan to supply the JSM (Joint Strike Missile) for their fleet of F-35 fighter aircraft. The contract is valued 450 MNOK.
Japan’s shipbuilder Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) launched the 12th and final Soryu-class diesel-electric attack submarine (SSK) for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). JS Tōryū (とうりゅう) SS-512 is the second submarine of the class to feature Li-Ion batteries.
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) and the US Army conducted their first ever combined anti-ship drills in Japan, as part of the annual Orient Shield exercise, according to pictures released by the US Army Japan press office.
Here is NavalNews.com’s seventh monthly report (August 2019). Naval News Monthly Reports are video round ups of the most read naval defense news articles we published in the past month.
The U.S. State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Japan of up to 73 Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA missiles for an estimated cost of $3.295 billion.
U.S. Marine Corps’ F-35B STOVL fighters will be the first fixed wing aircraft to fly from Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Izumo-class “helicopter destroyers”, following the conversion of both JS Izumo and JS Kaga into aircraft carriers.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) has officially announced the selection of the F-35B fighter as its future short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft. Lockheed Martin was the sole bidder.
