The Hyuga is classified as a helicopter-carrying destroyer (DDH 181) by the Japanese. She will carry an Aegis-type air defense system, with the U.S.-developed AN/SPY-1 multi-function radar; her principal “weapons” armament will be 64 advanced ESSM-type Sparrow missiles. She will also be fitted with two 20-mm Phalanx “Gatling” guns for close-in defense against anti-ship missiles, and she will have six tubes for anti-submarine torpedoes.
The Japanese have launched a "helicopter-carrying detroyer" because a Maritime Self-Defense Force obviously has no need for an aircraft carrier. Only navies need such offensive weapons.
So if China ever gets aggressive with the Japanese, the Japanese would never think of putting a ski jump ramp on the ship and putting F-35s on it. Or replacing some of the Sparrows with Tomahawks. Oh, and Strategypage recently wrote that they don't believe the low tonnage given, based on past Japanese practices of understating size.
As China looks to the sea to protect their increasingly important sea lines of supply, they provoke a lot of counter-moves by other nations that don't see a blue water Chinese fleet as the natural development the Chinese see it as.
So hey, if China want to pretend they aren't threatening anyone, why can't other nations deny they are are resonding to such actions?
And all the countries participating in the MALABAR naval exercises in the Bay of Bengal aren't focused on China at all, according to our 7th Fleet commander:
"There is no connection between these manoeuvres and anything else," Crowder said in reply to reporters' questions over whether the wargames were intended to send signals to Tehran and Beijing.
"The US has been jointly exercising with India since 1994 and the only thing new this time is that India has invited three more countries... This is not aimed against anyone," the fleet commander added.
See? Nothing to see.
And this isn't anything for Peking to be concerned about:
Japan wants India to join its security talks with Australia and the United States while insisting the dialogue is not meant to isolate China, a source said.
Helicopter-carrying destroyers would never smash up any PLAN force. Naval exercises with China's neighbors are nothing at all. And discussions by China's neighbors will hardly mention China.
Because everyone knows China is no threat. Why would anyone react? Right?
UPDATE: Strategypage, in an article good on timing, combines and amplifies what I mentioned here in one post.
