Japan's new defense plan headed in the wrong direction

Japan's defense ministry held a ceremony in Yokohama on July 30 for naming of the country's seventh Aegis escort warship; it has been named Maya and is likely to be commissioned around March 2020.

Maya is the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's first vessel equipped with cooperative engagement capability (CEC), a device that can share a large volume of data in real time without the use of satellites and has the capability to intercept missiles and enemy fighter aircraft.

With China in mind, Japan wants to strengthen cooperation with the US military. Aegis warships and E-2D airborne early warning aircraft of the US military stationed in Japan have already been equipped with CEC.