Yeh and a lot of the banks were too big to fail...

not being sarcastic - just sayin' I wonder if that argument holds true anymore.

*cough*historical-rise-and-fall-of-empires*cough*

You underestimate Japan's "Self Defence Force".
True, a section in the constitution forbids them sending troops overseas. But they have a large and well equipped military oops I mean Self Defence Force. Almost 250,000 troops, and, as examples, more than 800 tanks, 100 F4 Phantom fighter jets, 200 F15 Eagle fighter jets, dozens of destroyers, 18 submarines.

However, you might point out that they lack capacity to deploy force overseas in large amounts. That, and public opinion and the constitution, are the only things holding them back.

According to many Japanese, many abductees have not been returned. I don't know the facts on this.

Have the ones that came back been probed?

Thoroughly.

The Japanese also have some of the best BMD technology in the world.

Aegis Combat System. Courtesy of 'Merica.

I disagree. The SDF does not attract high calibre recruits, and many can quit at any time (being, technically, civilian forces). Conditions are hardly what would be called "attractive", even by the relatively low standards of military life in general, and their main combat experience has been as U.N. Peacekeepers and in aid relief. They're highly reliant on the USA for any sort of credible form of deterrence. Their navy is incapable of even defending their own vital trade links with the rest of the world.

In addition, there are problems with large deployments and popular opinion yes, though in the case of self-defence the latter would no doubt vanish fairly quickly.

I've heard the stories too, but without evidence they are little more than stories. Lots of people go missing, for lots of reasons. Some people may prefer the idea that their loved ones were taken by force. Its better than imagining they left of their own accord, or are dead. Some may be true, but without evidence...who's to say?

True, but that is true of most countries. It depends on who they're fighting. Japan Vs North Korea, I'll bet on Japan. Japan Vs China, I bet on China (unless USA jumps in, in which case... arma-bloody-geddon). Japan Vs Australia ... ahh, I don't think we could actually reach each other.

Again, true, and again if we are comparing to North Korea I suspect that if push came to shove we would find that a large portion of the people in the NK military only joined because it was the only way to get food on a regulr basis.

Yet again, there are many "possible" abductions, but I do believe there are several certain cases - abductees acknowledged by both govts. As for the rest, you're probably right about some.

Makes power projection very tricky, that.:cool:

And I end up imagining JMSDF and RAN frigates waking people up somewhere in the Philippines with gun reports and explosions coming from out to sea.

The respective submarine forces might be the most lethal combatants. Collins-class boats seem to have all the range they need, being designed to operate throughout the I.O.

Or we're faced with the spectacle of each country's P-3 Orions (they'd have the range) popping at each other with aircrew pistols out of the pilots' windows. Determining the winners would have to be by decision, though... counting the bullet holes in the planes' skins. Quick, install some rails for Sidewinders.:D

But if either nation had to work up its own complete, blue-water navy, their likely urgent theaters of operations would be the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific, covering both the majority of their shipping traffic and their connection with the Persian Gulf oil states.

We may get a show, yet.

This explains our policy of kissing America's butt as much as possible. We're hoping you'll decide you like us better than them.

For any "them".


(Seriously though, it's only China we're wary of.)

And India.

And Lumberjim.

If the Indians invade, we'll just play cricket with them.

Lumberjim, can you bowl?


FTR, If my sources are correct (daughter of a guy in the air force) Australia does have mid-air refueling capabilities so we could, in principle, bomb Japan. Just a little. Kind of a sony-minaturised bonsai bombing.