The Peter Zeihan Podcast Series - Japan's Navy Gets Teeth || Peter Zeihan

Episode Date: April 29, 2024

The Japanese Navy is getting a face lift with the conversion of the Izumo-class destroyers into small supercarriers capable of holding F-35s (compliments of the US). Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/japans-navy-gets-teeth

Everybody, Peter Zine here coming to you from Fondorida. The news today, we're in the second week of April, is that the Japanese have released from initial refit beard, what they call a heavy destroyer, the Kaga, it's part of the Azumbo class. This was designed to be a helicopter carrier, right? It's really a small supercarrier, if you will. And they've now completed the refit so it can take American F-35s, of which the Japanese are purchasing about 150,

at least a third of which are supposed to be the carrier versions, and there's definitely going to be more coming. This gives the Japanese full-scale naval aviation for the first time since 1945. Keep in mind that the world's first super carriers, or carriers of any type, actually are Japanese, and so this is a skill set that they're in the process of rebuilding. They're also doing so hand in glove with the naval superpower, which is the United States, and obviously they're going to be using a lot of American hardware and training

to make this up to speed. So basically this takes Japan and transforms its already blue water navy into a blue water strike navy with significant over-their horizon capabilities. The Japanese were doing this hand-in-glove of the Americas from a strategic point of view, and the vessels are already sailing together with the American fleets. The Kaga will be going through sea trials now for probably about a year, maybe a year and a half before beginning full deployment. And while that is happening, the other of the two Azumo-class carriers, the Azumo, will now be going for its refit.

Critics would say, and I would agree with them, that this was always the plan for the Azumo class. They were only called helicopter destroyers for purposes of dealing with the population and a region that wasn't quite comfortable with Japan taking the direct military role affairs. But that has now turned. The Koreans have gotten quiet. Everyone else in Asia realizes that the Japanese being more forthwith is actually. a good thing but most importantly the Japanese population is moved beyond its general feeling of pacifism in the post-World War II era realizing that as the Chinese become more uppity that a firmer military position is needed and that

requires hardware to accentuate the policy.