@Foofie,
Foofie wrote:Since geopolitics is not unidimensional, has anyone been noticing that China and Japan are jousting over the territory that some islands are on? So, if Japan decides to build a bomb pronto, we might not have anything to say. Assuming that is correct, then how could we be accepting of a nuclear Japan, but not a nuclear Iran, without making it appear that we have a double standard?
There might be more going on than one can see from one perspective.
We still intend to defend Japan. And in fact, we are developing a number of outstanding new weapons to use in that defense.
We are developing hypersonic cruise missiles that will be able to scream into a large country at Mach-6 and destroy vital targets with a kinetic-kill warhead before anyone even has time to realize that they are under attack.
We are merging drone technology with stealth bomber technology to create a fleet of unmanned stealth bombers. First up is a medium bomber that can land on and take off from aircraft carriers. It will allow our carriers to pummel a nation from way out in the middle of the ocean -- well away from any anti-ship weapons that they might possess.
The F-35 is also going to play an important role in the defense of Japan (particularly the STOVL hover version that will not be hampered by runway damage). F-35s flying out of Okinawa (and also a US airbase near Hiroshima) will be able to maintain air superiority over nearby waters and sink any surface ships that venture too close to Japan.
The ultimate goal is for all these weapons to
not be used -- the goal is more of a Cold War type of standoff -- but Japan is going to be defended very heavily.