Western Pacific Naval Symposium 2022 Concludes
The Western Pacific Naval Symposium 2022 (WPNS) is set to conclude today.
Japan hosted the second round of the biannual WPNS following the Japanese International Fleet Review (IFR) this past Tuesday. Democratic WPNS members, including the “Quad” and South Korea, are scheduled to conduct affiliation and interoperability training alongside discussions on maritime security concerns following recent North Korean ICMB tests.
Japan is likely to draw attention to mounting North Korea airspace missile displays into regional waters as it continues to upgrade its navy defense assets. Recently, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has completed construction of its third diesel-electric attack submarine last month – the Jingei of class Taigei, This follows Tokyo’s indication that a total of nine attack-class submarines may be financed for development.
As Japan’s hosting of the 2022 WPNS coincides with regional tensions growing and Tokyo’s endeavor to finance its Taigei attack-submarine fleet, it is likely WPNS members will support furthering collaborative navy communications. Considering mostly democratic nations participated in Tokyo’s IFR and WPNS, Japanese relations with China and North Korea may fall further from remedy. Although, through collaborative military efforts, South Korea-Japan relations may appear on the mend as priority is afforded to stabilizing the Indo-Pacific.
