History, Politics And Current Affairs

Considering America is pretty much committed to the defense of Japan and South Korea, would it be fair in TLW to say that the Japanese Defense appropriation is higher than in the real world.

Japan

Most important question..... Would Article Nine of the Japanese constitution be more marginalized or repealed?

Japanese Air Force (JASDF): Would F-2 development be sped up? Would there been a higher number of F-15s imported/domestically built?

Japanese Navy (JMSDF): Are we looking at more of a destroyer/frigate navy? Were more submarines built? Would Japan conceivably build V/STOL carriers, at least under the guise of amphibious assault ships?

Japanese Army: Are we looking at new programs being developed or same programs as real world?

Would some Japanese forces be jointly based in South Korea?

South Korea

Sunshine Policy: Was it implemented in TLW?

South Korean Navy: Was the South Korean navies dream of aircraft carriers met? Or was South Korean Navy more of a frigate/destroyer navy? Were more of less FACs built?

South Korean Air Force: Was the air force expanded as planned? I know South Korea was interested in accquiring the A-10 (ala Larry Bond's Red Phoenix) Were they acquired in TLW?

More questions to come........

I'm pretty sure that Japanese defense expenditures are legally limited to no more than 1% of GDP.


Highly doubtful.


I'm not sure that F-2 development really could have been sped up all that much, but we might have seen higher production rates once development was finished. I think you can make a case for extended F-15CJ/DJ production, but I wouldn't call it a slam dunk.


I'm really not sure the composition or building programs of the JMSDF would change that much from OTL.


Probably the same as in OTL, though maybe with larger annual production. Though AH-64 acquisition/production may have been sped up.


I'd have to say that there is no chance of that, at least in peacetime. And given the US is diverting reinforcements for South Korea to Japan, I'd say it's very doubtful that any Japanese forces will go to Korea.


Interesting question. I'm inclined to say no.


I'm really not sure the development/modernization of the South Korean Navy would differ much from OTL.


Probably about as in OTL. The program that led to the F-15K probably happened earlier, so they'll be in service earlier and in larger numbers. A-10 was out of production before the POD and stayed in widespread USAF service in TLWverse, so I'm inclined to say no. I'd guess they may have actually selected an AWACS on schedule in 1999 IF the Asian economic crisis wasn't as bad - so they may have some in service.

Was the K-2 Developed or was South Korea to stick with the K-1 tank?

Fairchild-Republic did offer an A-10 deal to the ROKAF in the '70s, but the asking price was said to be too high and the ROKAF was busy absorbing F-4Es at the time. The minimum buy that Fairchild-Republic wanted was 42 aircraft. (two 18-plane squadrons and six attrition reserve)

Its not any specific law or in the constitution, its just the government decided that about 1% is what would be accepted a while back. The actual yearly budgets, which are public spending laws in Japan just as they are in the US, have hovered around but not exactly on this mark since 1987. Some have been marginally above 1%. One major way Japan might increase defense spending without throwing away the 1% figure and looking too militaristic though, would be to split the money they pay towards maintaining US troops in Japan into a separate fund. Right now that’s part of the normal military budget, about 10% of it. Turning that 10% into funding for new hardware would make a huge difference in what they could field.

The Japanese have not vastly increased defence spending because of understandable internal political reasons. We've already seen that the Soviet invasion/raid into Hokkaido has stretched the JSDF's capabilities because they do not have large stockpiles of POL, spare parts and ammunition. To keep the Northern Army fighting the JGSDF is stripping the other four armies of equipment, fuel, ammunition and replacement personnel.
AFAIK Japanese defence policy has always assumed that American help would come very rapidly and that all they needed to do was to have enough reserves to last a few days. To keep fighting the Soviet incursion the JSDF will need American resupply very soon.