teck said...

teck at 11:30 PM JST - 3rd November

They are shifting the refuelling mission to support anti-piracy ops off Somalia instead, right? Guess that still means they will be deployed away from home, just for a different cause.

Posted in Refueling mission not to be extended: Hatoyama at 11:30 PM JST - 3rd November
teck at 04:28 PM JST - 16th October

It is 1.9 billion yen... that sounds like a cut, until you realise it is only 0.04%...

Posted in Defense Ministry eyes SDF expense cuts at 04:28 PM JST - 16th October
teck at 11:40 PM JST - 6th October

It could all just be a political ploy to gain votes. Now that they are in power, if they cannot keep their promise to end the mission, they may even find reasons to justify continuing it. After all, once they are in power, who's going to stop them?

Posted in Okada admits possible 'negative' impact of ending refueling mission at 11:40 PM JST - 6th October
teck at 12:47 AM JST - 12th September

It is free. That's the price Japan is paying for wanting to be seen as part of the international community committed towards ending terrorism.

Posted in Kawamura, on 9-11 anniv, worried about DPJ ending refueling ops at 12:47 AM JST - 12th September
teck at 12:56 PM JST - 15th August

It is probably an argument to help them become a nuclear state. Once out of the nuclear umbrella of the US, and when threatened with an increasingly irrational North Korea, they can put up a case for going nuclear as well. Just speculation on my side...

Posted in LDP, opposition parties differ on policy over U.S. nuclear umbrella at 12:56 PM JST - 15th August
teck at 02:51 PM JST - 10th July

Agree, I think ships with nuclear weapons onboard have already been calling at Japanese ports, just that they have never declared (nor denied) carrying them.

Posted in Japan should allow port calls by U.S. nuclear-armed vessels: Yamasaki at 02:51 PM JST - 10th July
teck at 11:28 PM JST - 22nd June

If the limits were set as per the allowed 12nm, the whole straits will be Japanese territorial water... and all ships, with their right of transit passage, can pass through international straits. Which means any warship can go right up to the baseline. At least when set at 3nm, they…

Posted in Japan set narrow territorial waters along straits for U.S. nukes at 11:28 PM JST - 22nd June
teck at 08:10 PM JST - 19th June

The SDF was created under the "request" of the US, when Japan was still occupied by the US, so as to free US occupation forces to participate in the Korean War.

Posted in Antipiracy law authorizing SDF protection of any ship enacted at 08:10 PM JST - 19th June
teck at 11:52 AM JST - 10th June

Japan already has capabilities to strike at the missile launch sites. The F-15s that Japan has should be able to fly within strike distance to deliver ordnance on the launch sites.

Posted in LDP proposes Japan obtain ability to hit enemy's missile launch sites at 11:52 AM JST - 10th June
teck at 07:19 PM JST - 17th April

The only large vessels I have seen in those waters are Japanese Coast Guard cutters...

Posted in 2 Taiwanese sailors missing after collision off Senkaku at 07:19 PM JST - 17th April