Thursday, July 25, 2013

Is AP and/or the Japanese Government Really Confused About the Difference Between a Fighter Jet and a Surveillance Turboprop?




After raking the Irish Times over the coals for screwing up the headline it tacked onto the Reuters story about the alleged intrusion of a Chinese military aircraft into Japanese airspace by calling a Y-8 turboprop a “fighter plane”, I was…interested? bemused? incensed? to see AP run its story with the fighter plane characterization in the body of the text.  As in:

Tokyo expressed unease Thursday over Chinese military and maritime activity near disputed islands that Japan controls, as China defended a flight by one of its fighter jets near Japanese airspace. 

I think it was a flub by AP, though I would be interested to find out if the reporter was simply passing on an incorrect? misleading? dishonest? characterization by a Japanese government official.

Was it a fighter plane to begin with, and initial Japanese government statements got it wrong?  Or was it a turboprop, which is now turning into a “fighter jet” in order to give the story some more legs?  Inquiring minds want to know.

For military aviation enthusiasts, Wikipedia tells us that the Y-8 turboprop, when converted to an airborne early warning aircraft, is called the KJ-200 Balance Beam.  Why “balance beam”?  Ask a gymnast.  Here is a picture I found on the Internet of this fearsome armament:

Doesn’t look much like a fighter jet.  

 Anybody get a picture of the Chinese intruder?  The great thing about maritime confrontations is that there’s nobody out there except the Japanese Self Defence Forces, so the Japanese government has near total control of the stories that come out.

As I reflect on the ongoing Senkaku/maritime saga, I am increasingly of the opinion that Prime Minister Abe welcomes tensions with China because it gives him a pretext to expand? exceed? the boundaries of the pacifist constitution with new missions and capabilities for the Japanese military without the need to make difficult explanations to the U.S. government and Japan’s neighbors about his manifest desire to transform the Japanese military into a strategic asset: one that not only intimidates and deters Japan’s neighbors and gives Japan the necessary capability and credibility to construct and lead alliances of lesser regional states, but also turns Japan into a self-sufficient and independent actor in the Asian security game: one that can dare ignore or defy the United States, and perhaps even use its unilateral capabilities to force the U.S. to either endorse its actions, follow them…or get out of the way.

So aggressive Japanese government spin about Chinese intentions and actions that push the boundaries of plausibility and truth are to be expected.

As to whether Japan would actively foment or misrepresent confrontations with China, well, for now I leave that interesting question to the intrepid journos of the leading media outlets.


12 comments:

Unknown said...

There is lot of information and they are very innovative and informative. I have read the article very well and it seems to me awesome. agen bola, agen sbobet, judi bola, agen ibcbet

soliha said...

kaspersky activation process online help and support regarding your product
stay safe and secure by activating your kaspersky antivirus

soliha said...

kaspersky activation process online help and support regarding your product
stay safe and secure by activating your kaspersky antivirus

soliha said...

kaspersky activation process online help and support regarding your product
stay safe and secure by activating your kaspersky antivirus

soliha said...

kaspersky activation process online help and support regarding your product
stay safe and secure by activating your kaspersky antivirus

soliha said...

kaspersky activation process online help and support regarding your product
stay safe and secure by activating your kaspersky antivirus

Adam Lee said...

ISO tanks can transport up to 60% to 70% more liquid cargo than drums on dry box containers. Furthermore, loading & discharge is safer, faster, and often cheaper than drums and flexibags. Tanks are manufactured from stainless steel, which offers high corrosion resistance and can withstand extreme forces vis-à-vis drums or flexibags. These factors are driving the ISO tank container market growth.

Adam Lee said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Tourtoreview said...

Thank you for sharing this useful material. The information you have mentioned here will be useful. I would like to share with you all one useful source How to visit Statue of Liberty.

Marcel Mikaelson said...

This report is a must-read for entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, consultants, business strategists, and all those who are planning to foray into the PET Container Market industry.

Market Research said...

The report explores the dynamics that have a strong influence on the Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging market and can also impact its future growth.

Unknown said...

If you are interested in the blogging industry, check out the latest posts on the great site. Post-related mouse click counter. Read the article click counter online and have a good reading experience.