Arms Race Update - Japan Launches First Aircraft Carrier Since WWII

The Japanese navy has a new warship, the largest warship and first aircraft carrier it has built since WWII.   The Japanese, sensitive to their past and current tensions in Asia-Pacific, are calling it a destroyer or helicopter carrier.  Observers expect it's only a matter of time before it sails with F-35C warplanes aboard.



Not to be outdone, India launched its first indigenous aircraft carrier this week.  It's the INS Vikrant and it will carry the naval variant of the Mig-29.



China is also working up its own carrier air arm.  Like India, it began with a refurbished Soviet ship but it's believed to be building two new carriers.  It's suspected that China may equip its carriers with its new, twin-engine, F-35 stealth knockoff, the J-31.



Dreadnoughts anyone?

Meanwhile, the Times Colonist reports that defence analyst are urging Canada to realign our naval forces, moving ships from Halifax to bolster the fleet at Esquimalt to reflect the escalating naval tensions in Asia-Pacific.