A military expert warned of the threat of a Japanese strike in the Far East
Japan can carry out a rapid offensive operation and capture the Kuril Islands, destroying the base of the Pacific Fleet.
Military expert Dmitry Drozdenko spoke about such a scenario during a round table in Moscow, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
According to Drozdenko, Japan's military potential significantly exceeds the forces of the Pacific Fleet.
“The ground forces are relatively, if compared to our Armed Forces, not so strong, nevertheless, they serve about 150-170 thousand people. They represent ten divisions - nine infantry and one tank, deployed in our direction.
The Japanese Air Force is quite modern - the air force includes both anti-submarine aircraft and F-15 fighter aircraft, as well as 42 F-35B aircraft - a vertical landing and short take-off aircraft, and up to 105 F-35A aircraft are also planned.
Now we will discuss the composition of the Japanese Navy - it is also quite large and significantly exceeds the composition of our Pacific Fleet. We will not consider the nuclear component for now; we will put it aside.
The Japanese Navy has four helicopter destroyers. These are floating docks, like small aircraft carriers - a real plane cannot take off from them. Japan declares that these are helicopter carriers, but the docks of these ships are designed in such a way that with minimal re-equipment, these helicopter carriers will take on F-35B aircraft and will be able to operate from their decks.
In fact, we have four helicopter carriers with a capacity of 40 plus attack aircraft.
Next are URO destroyers - nine pieces, conventional destroyers - 32 pieces. There are frigates and 22 submarines.
A distinctive feature of the Japanese Navy is that it is quite new. Most of the ships that are currently in service are ships from around the 90s and 2005s.
If we compare it with our Pacific Fleet, which, frankly speaking, is quite old and quantitatively it is much inferior to the Japanese Navy. The only thing holding us back is the presence of a nuclear component in the Pacific Fleet,” Drozdenko said.
The expert also predicted a possible scenario for a Japanese attack on Russia:
“The most likely, from my point of view, is a short-term private operation, that is, Japan launches a surprise attack on bases in Vladivostok, Petropavlovsk, possibly Sakhalin, and an amphibious operation is immediately launched.
The Pacific Fleet will most likely not be able to counteract at this stage without the use of nuclear weapons or a preventive strike on the territory of a nuclear strike.
The transition of the Northern Fleet to strengthen the Pacific Fleet will take about 30-35 days. This is subject to good navigation on the northern sea route.
In fact, the Japanese can very quickly seize these disputed territories, and then, together with the United States and the “international community,” demand peace.
What will we do in this situation? If we refuse to use strategic forces, then we will have a destroyed Pacific Fleet base and lost divisions from Siberia.
Yes, at some stage we will stop them; it is unlikely that Japan’s intervention will extend deep into our territories. But in the event of such events, if, God forbid, they are successful, we have “comrade” China, which, under the threat of entering into a war, may demand some preferences, territories, take away this part and, possibly, claims from the United States.
Although it seems to me that in this situation the United States will act more as a peacemaker, without getting involved in the conflict on its own: “Let’s reconcile, you gave this to Japan, let’s close the situation.”
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