# Japan chases unidentifed Sub out of territorial waters...



## Sheerin (10 Nov 2004)

interesting, I wonder who's sub she was... 

http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20041110p2a00m0fp003000c.html



> ** Breaking news ***
> 
> The government ordered the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) to chase an unidentified submarine that was spotted in Japan's territorial waters around southwestern Okinawa Prefecture Wednesday morning, a government spokesman said.
> 
> ...


----------



## Crazy_Eyes (10 Nov 2004)

What country could it possibly be? I'm not to informed on the global level so maybe someone who has an idea about it could give me their guess?


----------



## bitterbones (10 Nov 2004)

well, technically russian and japan never did sign a treaty, maybe the russians are looking to kick some japanese ***.


----------



## Bograt (10 Nov 2004)

In my best game show host voice....

And the winner is ................ North Korea.

Yes North Korea. Land of famine and tyrants. World villian and fledgling movie star. Thomas, tell them what they have won.

North Korea, you have won continued international isolation. Six more all inclusive months of international sactions and outrage.


----------



## aesop081 (10 Nov 2004)

Maybe i should transfer to the Japanese military...thier P-3's get to chasses real subs !!!!.........

On second thought................NOT !!!


----------



## ramy (10 Nov 2004)

Its probably a Chinese sub.


----------



## Inch (10 Nov 2004)

Crazy_Eyes said:
			
		

> What country could it possibly be? I'm not to informed on the global level so maybe someone who has an idea about it could give me their guess?



Actually, you'd be quite surprised at who has subs. Due to OPSEC I can't tell you who they are, but there's more than a few trouble makers with them. All the more reason to have a strong ASW force that includes helos and our own subs.

Cheers


----------



## Cloud Cover (10 Nov 2004)

We know it wasn't one of ours.  :


----------



## Crazy_Eyes (10 Nov 2004)

Ok, so say it was Russia or north Korea, or China, what would their reason be for being there? I mean isn't there international laws against that or something? Sorry for my ignorance, but i'm curious :dontpanic:


----------



## Inch (10 Nov 2004)

International laws of the sea state that any waters inside 12 nautical miles are considered sovereign territory, in some cases a warship may enter the territorial waters of another country, but it must be innocent passage. Meaning, no fire control radars, no aircraft launches, no stopping, and as it pertains to this situation, subs must be *surfaced*.   There are economic waters out to 200nm for fisheries, etc, and a few other caveats wrt continental shelves, but a country's territorial waters are only out to 12nm.

As for why they'd be there, probably just harassing the Japanese to find out what their capabilities are. It's a very common tactic, we do it to them, they do it to us. However, you're not supposed to be in another country's territorial waters while you do it.   The Japanese had every right to sink that sub if they wanted to.   That's why they want to find out who's sub it was since it was an illegal act.

Hope that clarifies it somewhat, I don't profess to be an expert on laws of the seas but I know the basics.

Cheers


----------



## aesop081 (10 Nov 2004)

Inch,

I beleive you are in fact correct.  At least as far as i can assertain from my notes from my LOAC course at RMC.  My take on it is the sub was DPRK....flexing their muscules before asking for more foreing aid.  My second option would be China ( Han class SSN)  testing the waters in the region because of all the sabre rattleling over Taiwan recently.

As a point to note, Libya, in the 80's, claime its teriotial waters were past the 12 miles.  The US decided to exercise the right of navigation and it resulted in the shoot-down of several MIGs

I guess thats why his nickname was "Ronny Ray-gun"


----------



## Bograt (12 Nov 2004)

Appears that my previous smart a$$ comment was wrong.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20041112.wjsub1112/BNStory/International/

Tokyo â â€ Japan lodged a formal protest with China on Friday after determining a nuclear submarine that entered its territorial waters without identifying itself belonged to China.

Japan's navy has been on alert since Wednesday, when the submarine was first spotted off Japan's southern island Okinawa. Japan sent reconnaissance aircraft and naval destroyers to shadow the submarine, which had spent about two hours inside Japanese waters before heading north.

Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura summoned Chinese envoy Cheng Yong-hua to formally protest the incursion and demand an explanation, a ministry spokesman said on customary condition of anonymity.

Mr. Cheng said Chinese authorities were investigating the incident and he would pass the protest on to Beijing, the spokesman said. Kyodo News Agency quoted Mr. Cheng saying he could not offer an immediate apology.

Earlier, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said Tokyo had concluded it was a Chinese nuclear submarine after considering a range of factors, including the fact the vessel appeared to be heading toward China.

â Å“Judging from several pieces of information, we found that the submarine belongs to the Chinese navy,â ? Mr. Hosoda told a news conference.

Mr. Hosoda said while Tokyo believed in maintaining peaceful diplomatic relations and promoting friendship with China, it expected an appropriate response from Beijing.

â Å“It's up to what follows. We have to take into consideration many things, such as how China responds and Japan's public opinion,â ? he said.

â Å“The question is how we deal with this issue in the big picture.â ?

Defence Agency chief Yoshinori Ono lifted Japan's naval alert Friday, Mr. Hosoda said. He didn't specify whether the aircraft and destroyers were returning home.

Earlier, Japanese news media had cited defence officials saying the vessel likely was a Chinese Han-class nuclear submarine, based on the noise it was making and the time it had stayed beneath the sea's surface.

Beijing had no immediate comment. On Thursday, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said she didn't know if the vessel was Chinese and discouraged â Å“any random suppositions on this questions.â ?

Territorial disputes have occasionally flared up between Japan and its neighbours, China and South Korea. In recent months, Tokyo has squabbled with Beijing over natural gas deposits in the East China Sea.

Japan has accused China of conducting surveys for gas fields near Okinawa that extend into Japanese territorial waters. China said its activities are close to its coast and don't concern Japan and has rejected offering more information.

Japan has been considering ways to boost its maritime defences after a shoot-out with a suspected North Korean spy ship in December 2001.


----------



## pappy (16 Nov 2004)

Btw it was a Chinese Sub, as in Pepole Republic of.  They tracked it back into Communist China's waters.


----------

