Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF), as it is officially known, is one of the world’s most powerful navies. Its fleet is larger than those of traditional European powers like France and the United Kingdom combined. But over the last decade, the MSDF has seen its position eclipsed by that of China’s navy, which has grown to twice its strength in terms of submarines and oceangoing surface combatants, like destroyers and frigates. More worrisome still for Tokyo, China has added a host of warships with entirely new capabilities, including aircraft carriers that can launch fixed-wing aircraft and an array of amphibious vessels. By comparison, the MSDF has seemed trapped in time. Its force structure and personnel strength, until recently, have been nearly identical to what they were two decades ago.
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