"Tokyo’s First Major Military Export Will Be a Seaplane" Topic

"In April 2014 the Japanese government finally lifted its postwar ban on the export of defense products. Tokyo approved its first arms export this summer — the supply of PAC-2 missile parts to the U.S., which will then sell the completed Patriot missiles to Qatar.

It's only a matter of time before Tokyo sells a major military platform rather than just parts. With a wealth of experience in manufacturing armor, ships, submarines and helicopters, there's a lot for potential buyers to choose from. But Japan's first sale will probably be a search-and-rescue amphibious aircraft — a seaplane — called the US-2.

Japan and India have been discussing the sale of the amphibian since 2012. The platform's civilian search-and-rescue role allowed talks to progress even before Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government revised the principles governing defense exports…"
Full article here
link

Amicalement
Armand

It makes sense, and I expect there is a market for it.

But Japan… with their hight technology could made much more in the Defense industry…

Amicalement
Armand

Sure could, Armand, but there's this clause in the post-WW2 Constitution called Article 9. That makes any military unconstitutional. The Self Defense Forces are a wordy end-run around that prohibition.

Japan also has very tight export restrictions on military equipment because of Article 9.

Armand: Yes they could, but Japan does not want to be a world arms dealer, so search and rescue sales make a lot of sense from their point of view.

Isn't the reason behind the change due to the possible sale of submarines to Australia?

ok… but we have to consider that Japan is "THE" US Allied in the Pacific… and if they are strong… China and others can be… err… more easily content?… and by the way… if they can produce two new and modern carriers (helicopters)… why not more…?

Or the Navy is not involved in the Article 9?

Amicalement
Armand

That's a bit of a gray area, Armand. First off, Japan doesn't have a Navy. It has a "Maritime Self Defense Force" which isn't supposed to be capable of offensive operations.

The helo destroyers are called "destroyers" because their express mission is anti-submarine warfare, which makes them a "defensive" ship. They can also be used for search and rescue, for fisheries enforcement, or even chasing pirates, just by changing the helo complement. Got pirates? Load a couple Apaches or Sea Cobras. Need to deliver relief supplies to an island? Load a couple CH47s or V22s. Chasing submarines? Load some SH60s.

Similarly, the JMSDF's landing ships are declared to be for reinforcing islands under attack or providing disaster relief services to areas without an intact harbor.