Marine Self Defence Forces holds annual fleet review

(11 Oct 2012) 1. Wide of Japanese destroyer ships sailing in formation 2. Close up tilt up of destroyer 3. Wide of ships in line 4. Close of Japanese Aegis ship shooting flares for demonstration 5. Wide of smoke coming from ship 6. Mid of ship shooting flares 7. Mid of P-3C plane in air 8. Wide of dropping missiles 9. Mid of missile landing and water splashing 10. Mid of decoy ship firing flares up in the air while it quickly manoeuvres to fake the location of the boat 11. Wide of flares 12. Ship making quick manoeuvre leaving smoke rising in the sky behind 13. Wide of P3-C plane firing flares 14. Close of MCH-101 helicopter, participating in the fleet review for the first time this year 15. Wide of MCH-101 helicopters 16. Close of submarine surfacing 17. Wide of submarines in line 18. Wide of public viewers onboard ship 19. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Junichi Arai, 60-years-old, company owner: "The Japan Coast Guard is putting much effort into the region (protecting the disputed islands) so I believe that it is frustrating for the Japanese Defence Forces that they cannot be part of it because it's the law. I think the navy would also like to cooperate to protect their people." 20. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Yumiko Arai, 62-years-old, part-time worker: "By watching the fleet review, I think I've learned the importance of defence in this country because we were lacking interest in this field." 21. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Kunihiro Fujiwara, 67-years-old, company worker: "The self-defence navy should demonstrate a readiness to serve as a strong deterrent." 22. Close of Japanese flag and ship in the background STORYLINE: Japan's navy held its tri-annual fleet review on Thursday, with destroyers lining the sea and missiles roaring through the air in a major display of this country's military power. More than 8-thousand troops and 39 ships took part in the review in the Sagami Bay, which puts the Japanese navy's best ships on display, from vessels rigged with the advanced Aegis radar system, to new conventionally powered submarines and high-speed hovercrafts. 32 planes from all sections of the Japanese military also joined to add some fireworks to the show. The fleet demonstrated missile launches from ships, technical manoeuvres, as well as fighter planes making impressive displays by shooting flares. Japan's military is one of the largest and best equipped in the world, however, its role is limited by the country's post-World War II constitution to a strictly defensive role. "The Japan Coast Guard is putting much effort into the region (protecting the disputed islands) so I believe that it is frustrating for the Japanese Defence Forces that they cannot be part of it because it's the law," said one man viewing the action Junichi Arai, in reference to the ongoing spat between Tokyo and Beijing over disputed islands. "I think the navy would also like to cooperate to protect their people," Arai added. The review comes amid the heightening tension with their Asian neighbours over territorial issues. The Japanese Coast Guard looks after the waters and the Japanese self-defence force is not involved. The long simmering dispute between Japan and China heated up last month after the Japanese government bought the Senakaku islets, called Diaoyu in Chinese, from their private Japanese owners. Japan currently controls the islands but Beijing insists that they belong to China and the purchase was a violation to an earlier tacit agreement. Taiwan also claims the islands, and Japan has a separate territorial row with South Korea over another set of islands. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...