Japan to introduce amphibious assault ship

(Photo source: video snapshot from CCTV)

Reports in Japan's Jiji press agency say the country's Maritime Self-Defense Force is planning to bring in an American-built amphibious assault ship in around five year's time, to enhance the defense of "remote islands in the East China Sea".

The report says the Defense Ministry will decide on the ship's precise functions and equipment by the end of March 2019. It's part of a five-year defense build-up program, adopted by the Japanese government in December.

The program calls for the introduction of multifunction vessels to deploy troops quickly in order to defend remote islands. But a Chinese defense expert says it's actually aimed at giving Japan's maritime self-defense forces independent combat capability.

Gao Hong, Researcher of Inst. of Japanese Studies, CASS, said, "The large US-built amphibious assault ship that Japan will introduce is a powerful maritime warship, a maritime weapon. Japan says it wants to enhance the defense of remote islands. But actually it hopes to empower its maritime self-defense force with independent combat capabilities. We should be highly vigilant and take relevant countermeasures."