Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ottawa docking at JMSDF s Kure base. Picture by Yoshihiro Inaba. Interview: The Royal Canadian Navy’s Role in the Indo-Pacific Region Japanese defence reporter Yoshihiro Inaba conducted an exclusive interview with Admiral Art McDonald, Canada’s Chief of the Defence Staff. The former Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy spoke about the importance of cooperation with regional countries including Japan and his country s commitment to the Indo-Pacific region. 28 Jan 2021
In recent years, Japan has strengthened its security ties with Canada, particularly through the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). Both naval forces have strengthened their cooperation through the bilateral joint exercise KAEDEX and by ensuring the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) against North Korea.
Story by Yoshihiro Inaba with additional reporting by Xavier Vavasseur
The ASM-3A announcement was made as part of a broader announcement in which the MoD published the “
XASM-3
JASDF F-2 fighter from Gifu air base in a test flight with two ASM-3 missiles in February 2020. Picture by local photographer Takeru Sugiyama.
For the record, Japan started full-scale development of a missile called XASM-3 in FY2010 that can be operated by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (航空自衛隊, Kōkū Jieitai or JASDF) F-2 fighter jets. The XASM-3 was an air-launched anti-ship missile (ASM) that cruised at supersonic speeds (above Mach 3) thanks to the combination of a solid rocket booster and ramjet engine. It had a range of about 200 km (108 nautical miles).