America’s Shocking Declaration to Keep China in Check: Building Nuclear Submarines HERE?

Japan Seriously Considering Ownership of Nuclear Submarines
Expected to Follow a Similar Path as Australia
Explicit Deterrence by the U.S. and Japan Toward China

Nuclear submarines can operate for longer periods compared to traditional Japanese submarines. Unlike diesel submarines that need to surface periodically, nuclear submarines can stay submerged indefinitely if desired, choosing the time and place to launch long-range weapons, even nuclear weapons, on the enemy as a surprise attack.

The U.S. seems to increasingly want not just itself but also its partners to possess nuclear submarines, with Japan speculated to be the next after Australia. This appears to align with the U.S. military’s current stance in Asia, sharing its actions against China with Japan. Let’s discuss this in more detail.

Japan, Like Australia, Considering Nuclear Submarine Ownership
Japan’s Recent Explicit Power Enhancement

U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Michael Gilday brought up the discussion about Japan owning nuclear submarines. Building nuclear-powered submarines requires long-term political and financial support at the national level, and Japan will need that, said Admiral Gilday. He hinted that Australia is expected to build nuclear-powered submarines by the 2040s, and Japan will likely follow a similar path.

Japan’s recent military power enhancement is quite explicit. The Izumo class, originally a helicopter carrier, is set to be used as a light aircraft carrier with the introduction of the F-35B vertical take-off and landing stealth fighter and is also expected to have near-preemptive strike capabilities with missile defense and attack capabilities. Some analysts suggest that this could give Japan as much influence in East Asia as it had during the Pacific War.

Training Continues in the West Sea Beyond the East Sea
U.S. Emphasizing Japan’s Role

The U.S. is braking on China’s hegemonic actions in East Asia. Given that the U.S. military’s joint training in the East Sea is a deterrent against North Korea, training in the West Sea appears to be a clear warning to China. Deploying an aircraft carrier to South Korea is also part of this strategy.

And it seems that the U.S. wants Japan to alleviate the burden of these actions against North Korea and China in East Asia. The supply of U.S. weapons to Japan, including the F-35, SM-3 interceptor missiles, and Tomahawk cruise missiles, totaling 14 trillion won (approximately 11.8 billion U.S. dollars), is crucial. Therefore, with U.S. support, Japan’s military actions in the Indo-Pacific region are expected to continue.

Possibility of South Korea Owning Nuclear Submarines

With Japan’s introduction of nuclear-powered submarines, the possibility of South Korea introducing nuclear submarines is also raising significant curiosity. However, the U.S.-South Korea nuclear agreement prevents military-purpose atomic fuel reprocessing, regardless of technological capabilities. If the U.S. were to allow South Korea to own atomic submarines, it could imply that the situation in East Asia is even more unstable than it is now.