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Recently, Japan has been making a lot of big moves and small moves. The conversion of two frigates into aircraft carriers and the launch of the ninth stealth frigate in the past have made people wonder what Japan, which has been calling on China not to change the status quo, intends. The latest launch of the most advanced stealth frigate, can it really be compared with the Chinese 054B?
Japan of wolf ambitions
Since the end of World War II and Japan's surrender, the international community has not allowed Japan to develop weapons and equipment such as attack aircraft carriers, nuclear weapons, and ballistic missiles in order to prevent it from becoming aggressive again. However, in recent years, Japan has begun to abruptly increase the pace of military equipment construction.
In recent years, the United States has gradually "loosened" its grip on Japan, and the intensity of supervision and control over various military limitation treaties has not been as strong as before, and there is a great deal of hope for fostering a military power in Asia. Japan's long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) took the opportunity to put forward a defense strategy in 2022, intending to strengthen seven combat capabilities, including unmanned military equipment and air defense and missile defense, in 10 years.
In order to speed up the pace of strategic advancement, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has even said that neighboring powers are the biggest strategic challenge at present, and that it must speed up the progress of military technology and build a more powerful army. Japan also hopes to increase the vitality of its military industry and promote the sustained development of its economy by increasing the export of military equipment.
To this end, as early as 2018, Japan revised important documents such as the constitution and defense guidelines, and decided to modify the two frigates, the Izumo and the Kaga, so that they can carry F-35B fighters and become real aircraft carriers. After the modification, the two light aircraft carriers will have a displacement of about 20,000 tons and will probably be able to carry 10 F-35B fighters.
Japan's defense spending plan for 2024 is about 1.2 trillion yen. This military expenditure is used to build a missile defense system and build all kinds of new ships, including the most advanced stealth frigates. At such a high price, is this ship really that strong?
Frigate of the highest rank
The Mogami-class frigate is Japan's first stealth frigate, with a simple hull design and no sharp edges and corners to avoid strong reflections from radar. The ship is also equipped with an integrated radio frequency mast. In the promotional video, the Japanese military showed an animated clip of the ship refracting the radar waves emitted by the J-20 and successfully achieving stealth.
The Japanese military has high expectations for the Superior frigate, which it is trying to replace the aging Abukuma class frigates, and it will also take on the role of a destroyer, responsible for the defense of the surrounding waters, while also taking into account ocean-going military operations.
As a modern multi-purpose frigate, the top stage is equipped with a 127mm gun, two 4-pack missile launch systems, two 12.7mm drone guns and two torpedo launchers. The full-load displacement of the most advanced frigate is already 5000 tons, so the configuration of weapons can only be called decent.
The biggest highlight of the most advanced frigate is its anti-submarine minesweeping capabilities. During World War II, the Japanese Navy suffered a big loss from mines, so in the design of new frigates, special attention was paid to the capabilities in this area. There are two docks at the stern of the ship, which are equipped with unmanned boats, underwater robots and composite towed sonar systems.
When performing sea area clearing tasks, the top level can use both surface equipment and underwater sonar to improve the mine's sweeping capabilities. It is equipped with unmanned boats and underwater robots, mainly responsible for detecting small mines and torpedoes, and the composite towed sonar system is capable of detecting submarines at a distance.
054B frigate
Next, let's take a look at the Type 054B frigate. In the past, ships designed by various countries emphasized the appearance of strong and heavy, with a forest of gun barrels, which appeared to be full of firepower; And now they have begun to strengthen the stealth ability of ships, and designs such as closed masts and no sharp edges and corners have become the mainstream.
The 054B is 147 meters long and 18.5 meters wide, and has a displacement of about 6,000 tons, which is absolutely second to none among frigates. It is also equipped with two latest equipment, one is the source phased array radar, and the other is the integrated radio frequency mast, which has greatly improved the air detection capability.
In terms of firepower, the 054B did not continue to carry the 76mm gun of the 054A, but replaced it with a more powerful 100mm gun. The two-way ammunition feeding system installed behind the turret focuses on firepower, but also allows for faster ammo switching, saves a lot of space, and improves the comfort of the ship.
The ship may have 32 units of missile launch systems installed on the bow deck, which are mainly used to load Hongqi-16 anti-aircraft missiles and Yu-8 anti-submarine missiles; It is also possible that the 055 has the same vertical launch system. The latter has a larger diameter and can also launch anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles.
In addition to escorting aircraft carriers against submarine attacks, Type 054B frigates are also the backbone of the fleet's air defense. Since large destroyers and cruisers cannot escort amphibious landing ships, the 054B, which has excellent air defense and anti-submarine capabilities and has ocean-going combat capabilities, may be the best choice for escort missions. From this point of view, the Type 054B frigate is no worse than the most advanced frigate.
China is not allowed to change the status quo
At the G7 summit to be held in Italy in 2024, the main reference to China is "overcapacity". The United States has been actively pursuing a strategy of containing China's development, and to this end it has tried to form a blockade against China by uniting with other countries.
Since World War II, the United States has been vigorously supporting Japan, and when the United States is targeting China in a variety of ways, Japan has followed the United States closely and began to exaggerate the so-called military threat theory, the main purpose of which is to enhance its own military strength.
Ignoring the fact that the national currency is depreciating, prices are rising rapidly, and the people's lives are miserable, the Japanese authorities have invested large sums of money in all kinds of cutting-edge military technology and equipment that far exceed the needs of self-defense.
At the same time, Japan needs to understand as soon as possible the sinister intentions of the United States in using and manipulating Japan, and not drift away from the wrong path. Only if it is strong in itself is really strong, and the Type 054B frigate must be refueled to counter the arrogance of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force.
Resources:
International Online: "Japan's aircraft carrier program has taken a big step forward! 》
Global Times: "Where Japan spends its record defense budget"
Xinhuanet: "Acting as the "pawn" of the US military in combat, Japan's "Mogami"-class frigate exposes its ambitions"
Observer.com: "The Sea of Japan Launches a New Generation of Stealth Frigates and Names Them Kumano"
Global Network: "China's Type 054B frigate launched! A new generation of frigates has become the backbone of the world's navies》
China.com: "Performance Greatly Improved, Chinese Navy's New Ship 054B Launched"
Xinhuanet: "How many "private goods" does Japan bring with it to host the G7 summit? I want to whitewash the character of the invader! 》
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