Re:U.S. Sends China Signal with F-35-Laden Warship in Disput...
by xkcd-sucks on Wednesday April 10, 2019 @10:00AM
(#19624682)
It's also worth remembering that USA contributed to postwar reconstruction under informal, and sometimes formal, agreements that the nations would outsource their military operations. Japan does not have a "true" military to this day, and Taiwan never developed or acquired nuclear weapons. This is at the request of USA, paid for in protection.
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Re:U.S. Sends China Signal with F-35-Laden Warship in Disput...
by CapricornNoble on Wednesday April 10, 2019 @12:45PM
(#19626457)
That whole perception of Japan not having a military is just a technicality.....their "Maritime Self-Defense Force" is easily the 3rd largest and most powerful navy in the Pacific (after the US and China).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_active_Japan_Maritime_...
The "Air Self-Defense Force" has more combat jets that the UK's Royal Air Force, and almost as many as the mighty Israeli Air Force. The Japanese are just postured exclusively for national defense and territorial integrity....which many people don't realize includes the ability of executing credible counter-offensives to liberate lost territory. I would argue that until the past ~5-10 years or so, the Chinese stood no chance in a big fight out here in the First Island Chain. The qualitative AND quantitative differences between the Chinese and Japanese hardware were just that large.