Japanese BCC are looking into space. Star self defense
A few days ago it became known that Japan plans in the future to expand the areas of responsibility of its air defense forces and make them aerospace. The first steps in this direction will be made next year, however, they should not differ in special scales. Then, work will continue, and BCC will evolve over time into BCCS.
Launch of the H-IIA launch vehicle with the IGS Radar-5 satellite, 17 on March 2017. Photo by Spaceflightinsider.com
The first reports of the imminent creation of new units within the BCC appeared in early August in the Japanese press. Then it was claimed that the first military unit responsible for work in outer space would be created as early as next year. The formation of such a unit was then associated with an increase in the activity of the leading countries of the world in space. Tokyo does not want to lag behind foreign countries, including unfriendly, which leads to the need to create new units.
On 17 of September, earlier information was confirmed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. According to him, self-defense air forces can indeed be transformed into aerospace. The prime minister also revealed some previously unknown details of the plans.
The formation of the first “space” part of the BCC will begin in August next year. The main task of this unit will be tracking space and objects in orbits. It will also have to ensure the detection of missile launches in nearby countries.
The work on creating a new unit, according to S. Abe, should be accompanied by legislative innovations. The Prime Minister believes that the activities and tasks of space units should be included in the Japanese constitution. In this case, their existence and activity will not contradict the basic law.
The new military unit in charge of outer space will be formed in August next year. To create it in the defense budget for the next 2020 fn. Funding in the amount of 52,4 billion yen (almost 485 million US dollars) is envisaged. Detailed information on the structure of planned costs is not published.
Optical intelligence satellite IGS 2-th generation. Figure P-island.com
The new unit will serve in Futu, near Tokyo. Initially, it will serve approx. 70 people. In the future, it is impossible to exclude the emergence of new facilities and the expansion of staff in accordance with the change in current requirements and the building of general potential.
Part will gain access to some existing facilities, as well as some new equipment will be handed over to it. With the help of such material part, the military will monitor the airwaves and detect the suspicious activity of third countries. They will also have to track objects in orbits - both working satellites and space debris. The new part will be entrusted with the operation of the existing space group.
In the near future, the training of personnel for the future "space" unit should begin. The Japan Aerospace Research Agency will be involved in training soldiers and officers. It is also planned to seek help from the US armed forces.
Official Tokyo revealed the most basic information about the formation of a new structure as part of the BCC. Based on these data, it is possible to draw general conclusions about the general plans of Japan in this context for the next few years. In general, the situation looks ambiguous. On the one hand, the Self-Defense Forces will receive fundamentally new opportunities even at the level of their structure. On the other hand, no major breakthroughs in terms of opportunities and potential are yet to be expected.
The main goal of the new space division is monitoring the situation and detecting potentially dangerous objects and events. It is about exploration of outer space and ground objects. It will also be responsible for providing satellite communications.
Generation 2 radar reconnaissance satellite. Figure P-island.com
The creation of new structures is associated with increased activity of third countries. Developed countries are increasingly mastering and using orbital systems, which gives them well-known advantages. Japan, despite the peaceful nature of its constitution, does not want to remain at a disadvantage and also intends to master space technology.
Apparently, the first stage of the creation of space units, scheduled for next year, is associated with the desire to ensure monitoring of the activities of the Far Eastern countries having strained relations with Japan. The space division will have to track developments in China and the Korean peninsula. It is also possible to monitor the relevant regions of Russia or other countries.
Obtaining additional information about events in foreign countries will help the Japanese command better understand the situation and optimize their own planning. Creating your own unit will also reduce the dependence on foreign allies again. At present, the Self-Defense Forces are forced to rely heavily on the United States, and the creation of their own space unit with the transfer of the functions of other organizations to it will somewhat simplify their lives.
Over the past few decades, Japanese law has severely limited the development of military space technology. However, the Self-Defense Forces managed to create the desired grouping of spacecraft, primarily reconnaissance.
The creation of the intelligence group was carried out as part of the Information Gathering Satellite program, launched in 1998 after North Korean ballistic missile tests. The first launch of the IGS series ready-made vehicles took place in 2003. To date, one and a half dozen products of different models have been put into orbit, two more have been destroyed in a booster accident. Seven pieces of equipment continue to work, the rest have worked out a resource or were lost due to accidents.
The DS2000 satellite platform is the basis for the DSN-2 military unit. Photo Spaceflight101.com
The current IGS group includes three optical reconnaissance vehicles and four radar carriers. All satellites are built on different projects - from the third to the sixth generation in the IGS line. There is no detailed information on the operation of IGS satellites and their fields of activity. Apparently, they are used to monitor neighboring countries and identify their military activity.
For the time being, the Self-Defense Forces have only one communications satellite of their own. The DSN-2 geostationary device or “Kirameki-2” was launched in January 2017. It provides relaying signals in the X-band and should simplify the work of troops in the Asia-Pacific region. Assigned satellite resource - 15 years.
Earlier in the Japanese media it was reported that a new generation of reconnaissance spacecraft is being created for the Self-Defense Forces. Devices of this kind may appear by 2023. Also in the future, the appearance of new military communications satellites and missile warning devices is expected.
Due to the lack of their own spacecraft, the Self-Defense Forces over the past decades have been forced to turn to outside organizations for help. The Japan Aerospace Research Agency provides them with well-known assistance. Also had to rely on intelligence from the United States. With the advent of its own grouping, dependence on third-party structures decreased, but did not disappear completely.
The existing satellite constellation will be transferred to the newly created structure as part of the self-defense air forces next year. BCC will now be responsible not only for airspace, but also for space. In this regard, they are invited to be called aerospace forces.
However, the essence of the new transformations is not in choosing the right name for the military branch. First time in stories Self-Defense Forces will appear a separate unit responsible for all work in outer space. This shows that Tokyo understands the importance of space technology for national security, and also seeks to be on a par with the leading countries of the world. How successful the actions of Japan will be will be known no earlier than August next year.
Launch of the H-IIA launch vehicle with the IGS Radar-5 satellite, 17 on March 2017. Photo by Spaceflightinsider.com
Latest news
The first reports of the imminent creation of new units within the BCC appeared in early August in the Japanese press. Then it was claimed that the first military unit responsible for work in outer space would be created as early as next year. The formation of such a unit was then associated with an increase in the activity of the leading countries of the world in space. Tokyo does not want to lag behind foreign countries, including unfriendly, which leads to the need to create new units.
On 17 of September, earlier information was confirmed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. According to him, self-defense air forces can indeed be transformed into aerospace. The prime minister also revealed some previously unknown details of the plans.
The formation of the first “space” part of the BCC will begin in August next year. The main task of this unit will be tracking space and objects in orbits. It will also have to ensure the detection of missile launches in nearby countries.
The work on creating a new unit, according to S. Abe, should be accompanied by legislative innovations. The Prime Minister believes that the activities and tasks of space units should be included in the Japanese constitution. In this case, their existence and activity will not contradict the basic law.
Plans for 2020 year
The new military unit in charge of outer space will be formed in August next year. To create it in the defense budget for the next 2020 fn. Funding in the amount of 52,4 billion yen (almost 485 million US dollars) is envisaged. Detailed information on the structure of planned costs is not published.
Optical intelligence satellite IGS 2-th generation. Figure P-island.com
The new unit will serve in Futu, near Tokyo. Initially, it will serve approx. 70 people. In the future, it is impossible to exclude the emergence of new facilities and the expansion of staff in accordance with the change in current requirements and the building of general potential.
Part will gain access to some existing facilities, as well as some new equipment will be handed over to it. With the help of such material part, the military will monitor the airwaves and detect the suspicious activity of third countries. They will also have to track objects in orbits - both working satellites and space debris. The new part will be entrusted with the operation of the existing space group.
In the near future, the training of personnel for the future "space" unit should begin. The Japan Aerospace Research Agency will be involved in training soldiers and officers. It is also planned to seek help from the US armed forces.
Space self defense
Official Tokyo revealed the most basic information about the formation of a new structure as part of the BCC. Based on these data, it is possible to draw general conclusions about the general plans of Japan in this context for the next few years. In general, the situation looks ambiguous. On the one hand, the Self-Defense Forces will receive fundamentally new opportunities even at the level of their structure. On the other hand, no major breakthroughs in terms of opportunities and potential are yet to be expected.
The main goal of the new space division is monitoring the situation and detecting potentially dangerous objects and events. It is about exploration of outer space and ground objects. It will also be responsible for providing satellite communications.
Generation 2 radar reconnaissance satellite. Figure P-island.com
The creation of new structures is associated with increased activity of third countries. Developed countries are increasingly mastering and using orbital systems, which gives them well-known advantages. Japan, despite the peaceful nature of its constitution, does not want to remain at a disadvantage and also intends to master space technology.
Apparently, the first stage of the creation of space units, scheduled for next year, is associated with the desire to ensure monitoring of the activities of the Far Eastern countries having strained relations with Japan. The space division will have to track developments in China and the Korean peninsula. It is also possible to monitor the relevant regions of Russia or other countries.
Obtaining additional information about events in foreign countries will help the Japanese command better understand the situation and optimize their own planning. Creating your own unit will also reduce the dependence on foreign allies again. At present, the Self-Defense Forces are forced to rely heavily on the United States, and the creation of their own space unit with the transfer of the functions of other organizations to it will somewhat simplify their lives.
Material part
Over the past few decades, Japanese law has severely limited the development of military space technology. However, the Self-Defense Forces managed to create the desired grouping of spacecraft, primarily reconnaissance.
The creation of the intelligence group was carried out as part of the Information Gathering Satellite program, launched in 1998 after North Korean ballistic missile tests. The first launch of the IGS series ready-made vehicles took place in 2003. To date, one and a half dozen products of different models have been put into orbit, two more have been destroyed in a booster accident. Seven pieces of equipment continue to work, the rest have worked out a resource or were lost due to accidents.
The DS2000 satellite platform is the basis for the DSN-2 military unit. Photo Spaceflight101.com
The current IGS group includes three optical reconnaissance vehicles and four radar carriers. All satellites are built on different projects - from the third to the sixth generation in the IGS line. There is no detailed information on the operation of IGS satellites and their fields of activity. Apparently, they are used to monitor neighboring countries and identify their military activity.
For the time being, the Self-Defense Forces have only one communications satellite of their own. The DSN-2 geostationary device or “Kirameki-2” was launched in January 2017. It provides relaying signals in the X-band and should simplify the work of troops in the Asia-Pacific region. Assigned satellite resource - 15 years.
Earlier in the Japanese media it was reported that a new generation of reconnaissance spacecraft is being created for the Self-Defense Forces. Devices of this kind may appear by 2023. Also in the future, the appearance of new military communications satellites and missile warning devices is expected.
Due to the lack of their own spacecraft, the Self-Defense Forces over the past decades have been forced to turn to outside organizations for help. The Japan Aerospace Research Agency provides them with well-known assistance. Also had to rely on intelligence from the United States. With the advent of its own grouping, dependence on third-party structures decreased, but did not disappear completely.
From air to aerospace
The existing satellite constellation will be transferred to the newly created structure as part of the self-defense air forces next year. BCC will now be responsible not only for airspace, but also for space. In this regard, they are invited to be called aerospace forces.
However, the essence of the new transformations is not in choosing the right name for the military branch. First time in stories Self-Defense Forces will appear a separate unit responsible for all work in outer space. This shows that Tokyo understands the importance of space technology for national security, and also seeks to be on a par with the leading countries of the world. How successful the actions of Japan will be will be known no earlier than August next year.
Information