“Forefront of monitoring in China” 9:59 on November 1st with US military training

CTF72 = 72th Task Force. It is a unit of the American 7th Fleet responsible for surveillance and reconnaissance of the vast sea area of ​​the western Pacific. Accompanying troop training this month (October). Now, in this area, the battle between the American and Chinese troops is growing fierce.
(International Department reporter Kazuhiro Yamao)

CTF72

October 4th, 10:00 am, US Atsugi base. The aircraft stopped right next to the 2400 meter long runway.

US Navy anti-submarine patrol aircraft P8. It is called by the common name of the Greek god of the sea "Poseidon". The gray aircraft is approximately 40 meters long, and deployment started in Japan in 2013.

“The P8 can fly for 8-9 hours in a row, and if you refuel in the air, you can fly for a longer time.

The unit commander Rutherford, who was greeted, explained in a calm tone. CTF72's mission is to search, track and monitor ships and submarines from other countries. It is a front-line unit that monitors the movement of the Chinese People's Liberation Army that activates activities in this area.

To training

CTF72 has deployed about 10 P8s at Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture and Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture.

“If you find an object, you can rush to the sea and analyze it with various devices.” This is explained by a person called Tactical Coodinator.

Design and execute tactics to track and monitor ships and submarines by manipulating all devices such as information systems and radars in the center of the aircraft.

Of the 9 crew members of P8, there are 3 pilots, the remaining 6 are tactical aviators and their personnel. Upon boarding the aircraft, the crew was well prepared for takeoff and headed to the target area.

P8 surveillance and reconnaissance

The shadow of the ship reflected on the radar. The LCD monitor shows the position of the ship in the surrounding sea area. Upon reaching the target sea area, the crew was instructed to wear a life jacket. Explanation that it is a measure to prepare for the descent. Then P8 suddenly began to lower altitude.

If you look out of the window, the sea surface seems to be approaching in front of you. Altitude approximately 60 meters.

One person who looked at the monitor turned around and said, “Look at the right window. The ship will come in 10 seconds.” 10 seconds later, an oil tanker could be seen from the window.

An image of the target ship is taken, identified and analyzed with a high-performance camera at the bottom of the aircraft. “We will find any boat.” I was confident in the tone of the personnel who spoke so.

“Biggest” threat

The most important mission of P8 is submarine detection and tracking. The behavior of submarines lurking in the sea is a major threat to US Navy ships.

Behind the aircraft were gray tanks 1.5 meters high and 1 meter in diameter. The position of the object in the sea is specified by a sonar device called "Sonobuoy" contained inside.

When the existence of a submarine is suspected, a large amount of sonobuoys are dropped into the sea to attempt detection. According to a US Department of Defense analysis, the Chinese army will increase the number of submarines to 70 by next year.

If submarine activities become more active in the western Pacific, the actions of the US military may be greatly restricted. “We are watching the deployment of the Chinese army”. Rutherford commanded a vigilance over his ability.

American military speculation

What is the current situation of the US military in the western Pacific Ocean? I visited Toshiyuki Ito, former Admiral Toshiyuki Ito (professor at Toranomon Graduate School of Kanazawa Institute of Technology), who served as a submarine captain of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, an intelligence officer at the Information Headquarters, and a defense liaison officer at the Japanese Embassy in the United States.

“The Chinese army has at least 5 aircraft carriers and is trying to create a state where there is always one aircraft carrier in the south of Japan, one in the South China Sea, and one in the Indian Ocean.”

Isn't the Chinese army aiming to establish control over the airspace in the South China Sea and further over the sea? It has been analyzed that the Chinese army has increased the number of ships by about 60 over the last decade to 189.

Missile capability also improves rapidly. The company is developing and deploying anti-ship ballistic missiles that can make precise attacks on ships navigating at sea.

Dongfeng 21D = DF21D, also called "aircraft carrier killer", has a range of more than 1,500 km, and Dongfeng 26 = DF26, which is said to have extended this to 4000 km, is known as "Guam Killer" as being able to reach Guam, the US military base It is attached.

Drawing the range of these two missiles in a circle around the coastal area of ​​the mainland of China shows that it covers the entire South China Sea.

In June, the Chinese army first launched six anti-ship ballistic missiles into the South China Sea, demonstrating its capabilities.

In addition to missiles, Chinese troops have established airfields on four islands and artificial islands in the South China Sea. It is analyzed that if a fighter unit is deployed here, its range of action will also cover the entire South China Sea.

Motoi Ito analyzes that he is trying to increase the control of the sea area by constantly deploying the aircraft carrier after securing the superiority of the air area with these forces and blocking the approach of the US military.

The key is allies

How is the US military trying to compete? The strategy emerged from the joint training “Malabar” between Japan, the United States and India, which was conducted in the waters near Japan from September to October.

“The United States and its allies and partners want to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

U.S. Pitts commander prayed at a meeting with the Maritime Self-Defense Forces and Indian Navy commanders and stressed:

The US military is trying to deepen cooperation by strengthening joint training with allies in Japan and Australia, as well as countries in India and Southeast Asia.

The content has also been upgraded, and anti-submarine warfare has been introduced for this training item. Cooperation with allies and partners is key.

The United States is now seeking further contributions from other countries. An American army that tries to counter the rise of the Chinese army in cooperation with other countries. The battle over the ocean is becoming more intense.

International reporter
Kazuhiro Yamao