Japan’s navy raises tensions at launch of carrier lookalike
Print Edition
Japan unveiled its biggest warship since World War II yesterday, a huge flat-top destroyer that raised eyebrows in China and elsewhere because of its strong resemblance to a conventional aircraft carrier.
The ship, which has a flight deck that is nearly 250 meters long, is designed to carry up to 14 helicopters.
Japanese officials say it will be used in national defense — particularly in anti-submarine warfare and border-area surveillance missions — and to bolster the nation’s ability to transport personnel and supplies in response to large-scale natural disasters, such as the devastating earthquake and tsunami of 2011.
Though technically a destroyer, some experts believe the new Japanese ship could potentially be used in the future to launch fighter jets or other aircraft that have the ability to take off vertically.
That would be a departure for Japan, which has one of the best equipped and best trained naval forces in the Pacific but which has not sought to build aircraft carriers because of constitutional restrictions that limit its forces to a defensive role.
Tokyo’s military held a ceremony later in the day in the port city of Yokohama to show off the new helicopter carrier, which will be a centerpiece of its naval power.
The ship is named Izumo, the name of the warship of the Japanese Imperial Navy that steamed into Shanghai’s Huangpu River during its invasion of China in World War II.
The vessel was announced several years ago but the ceremony comes as the conservative government considers boosting military capabilities with debate swirling over a possible overhaul of Japan’s pacifist constitution.
Japan’s well-funded and well-equipped military is referred to as the Self-Defense Forces, and barred from taking aggressive action.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been considering a beefed-up military, which would require changing the constitution imposed by the US and its allies after the war.
Any overhaul of the constitution would stir strong emotions among Japan’s neighbors, which have long maintained Tokyo has never come to terms with its militaristic past.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
