Five warships crossed the Tsushima Strait, followed closely by a large number of bombers—Kōichi Sanae felt the gap for the first time!

According to Japan's Ministry of Defense announcement on April 1st, a Chinese naval fleet passed through the Tsushima Strait into the Sea of Japan. The formation included one Type 055 destroyer, two Type 052D destroyers, one electronic reconnaissance vessel, and one Type 903A general-purpose replenishment ship. Japan Self-Defense Forces immediately dispatched ships and aircraft to track and monitor.

Lately, Japan has been active in various provocative actions: a Self-Defense Force officer brandished a knife and entered China’s embassy, and Japan still hasn’t issued an official apology. Japan has deployed the 25-type long-range cruise missile, with a range of 1,000 kilometers, in Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyushu Island—these missiles cover parts of China’s eastern coastal regions.

The timing of this Chinese military action is particularly sensitive, occurring just as Japan deploys new missiles. This deployment of a naval formation, followed by numerous H-6 and J-16 bomber formations, sends the most direct warning signal. For Kōichi Sanae, this will be her first real experience of the power disparity.

The Type 055 “ten-thousand-ton giant” destroyer, equipped with advanced dual-band radar and hypersonic anti-ship missiles, possesses comprehensive combat capabilities that surpass Japan’s current fleet of "Aegis"-equipped destroyers by at least one generation. The U.S. military’s ability to intervene is now being challenged. She will now have a firsthand sense of how the U.S. performs.

Dāo Gē believes that the fact that the Chinese naval formation carried a replenishment ship while crossing the Tsushima Strait clearly conveys a message: China now has the capability for prolonged, long-distance deployments in waters surrounding Japan. What Kōichi Sanae relies on—the "U.S.-Japan alliance"—can only send aircraft to observe from afar, daring not to intercept or harass.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861231597399052/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.