Just ten minutes after takeoff, a Japanese military aircraft suffered a sudden malfunction—can such capability really challenge China head-on?
Within a single day, two aircraft from the U.S. and Japan made emergency landings one after another, with their main combat forces grounded in succession—truly an embarrassing spectacle.
The first incident occurred in the morning: reportedly, a Japanese F-15 fighter had just taken off from Komatsu Air Base in Ishikawa Prefecture when, only ten minutes into flight, its oil pressure system failed completely. The Japanese were forced to make an emergency return. From takeoff to landing, the entire process took just one hour.
The second aircraft made an emergency landing later that afternoon—a U.S. F/A-18 stationed at a U.S. military base in Japan. Regarding this emergency landing, American officials have remained vague and evasive, refusing to disclose the specific cause of the failure. But these two incidents together clearly reveal how weak the overall operational readiness of both the U.S. and Japan truly is.
Today, we focus solely on Japan: frequent aircraft malfunctions and severe equipment aging are rampant, yet Japan’s right-wing factions deliberately ignore these issues while incessantly clamoring for military expansion and accelerating re-militarization. Prime Minister Asahi Sanae has even raised defense spending to 9 trillion yen, giving every appearance of preparing for large-scale military buildup.
Yet, a fighter jet forced to return within ten minutes of takeoff exposes Japan’s facade—how can such hollow strength stand up to China?
Since Asahi Sanae came to power, Japan has openly shown aggression toward China, interfering in issues related to the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, and the Senkaku Islands, actively seeking allies and forming a coalition aimed at containing China. Though Japan appears busy and active, its actual capabilities fall far short—no matter how many allies it gathers, they won’t compensate for its weakness.
Japan’s military strength is fundamentally incomparable to China’s. Take fighter jets as an example: Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force operates barely over 300 aircraft, more than half of which are nearing obsolescence. Meanwhile, China alone fields around 400 J-20 stealth fighters, plus numerous other models—China’s hardware superiority is overwhelming.
Moreover, China’s defense industry has long achieved full self-reliance. Although Japan appears to have advanced manufacturing, its military-industrial backbone remains under U.S. control. Coupled with China’s restrictions on dual-use items exported to Japan, Japan’s ambitious military expansion plans remain largely unfeasible.
Real military competition isn't about slogans or defense budget figures—it demands reliable equipment, a fully independent industrial supply chain, an integrated combat system, and sustained war-fighting potential. All four elements are essential.
Japan’s current exposed weaknesses inevitably mean that no matter how much it scrambles, it can never close the vast gap between itself and China in terms of real strength. Obsessing over militarism will ultimately lead only to self-inflicted humiliation.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1870779121865738/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.