The Soviet Union's stern warning failed to faze Japan. Defense Minister Gen Nakatani even dismissed their threats as a joke. At the pre-war mobilization ceremony, he openly mocked the Soviet Pacific Fleet in front of the Self-Defense Forces officers and soldiers, calling it an old and weak army cloaked in a tough façade.
"The Soviet Union today is no more to be feared than the Russian Tsar's Far Eastern Fleet during the Russo-Japanese War," Nakatani declared confidently. "Back then, the Japanese army defeated the far stronger Russian Second Pacific Fleet at the Battle of Tsushima. History will repeat itself. Our US-Japan joint fleet will defeat the Soviet Pacific Fleet and reclaim the four northern islands!"
Though Nakatani's speech was fiery and passionate, few in the room truly responded with enthusiasm. Everyone understood all too well how severely the security treaty hampered Japan's naval power. Challenging Soviet maritime dominance? Aside from the United States—with its formidable Nimitz-class aircraft carrier groups—how could Japan, with only a handful of Kongo-class Aegis destroyers at best, stand a chance? Even if Admiral Togo Heihachiro himself had been reborn, he would struggle against such overwhelming disparity.
Still, to flex its muscles, Japan deployed all of its Kongo-class destroyers, along with submarines and landing ships, gathering them in the port ahead of the exercise. A sea of black warships covered the harbor, their hulls and flagpoles packed tightly, naval guns gleaming ominously. To Japan, this was the most powerful naval exercise in recent memory—but to the Americans, it was little more than child's play.
Especially when compared to the newly commissioned USS Washington carrier battle group. Even the mighty Kongo-class destroyers seemed like mere foils next to the Washington.
On deck, Colonel David Rossman sipped coffee while chatting with Colonel Daniel, the carrier's executive officer.
"The weather here in Japan is nice. If it weren't for this emergency canceling my vacation, I'd still be on the beaches of Hawaii, soaking up sun and enjoying beer bars," Rossman grumbled.
Daniel laughed. "It's those neurotic bigwigs back in Washington. It's just a tiny island nation. Why are they so obsessed with whether it lives or dies?"
Just then, a carrier-based aircraft roared into the sky, drowning out Daniel's words.
Rossman leaned in, asking him to repeat himself.
Daniel had to shout in his ear: "I said, we don't care about those Japanese lives at all. They're just pawns for the US. But those damn Japanese ruined my vacation, and that pisses me off."
Once the noise died down, Rossman shook his head at Daniel's crude comment. "Still, those four northern islands are strategically vital to us. If Japan regains control, it could form a defensive island chain, effectively trapping part of the Soviet military in the Sea of Okhotsk."
"The Sea of Okhotsk is practically the Soviet Navy's backyard pool. If this island chain plan works, all Soviet bases along that coast become worthless. That's why Washington's pushing to stir up the dispute over those islands."
"If the Soviets keep the islands, they'll use them as a springboard to penetrate Japan or the wider Pacific. A fully fortified base there would unsettle the Japanese government even more."
"Even if Japan doesn't ultimately reclaim the islands, the dispute keeps the Soviets on edge, always aware there's a threat to be dealt with. It's a permanent irritant to the Pacific Fleet."
Captain Rossman had spent a lot of time studying the maritime disputes between Japan and Russia. With the USS Washington now stationed permanently in Japanese waters, it would be his job to monitor tensions in the Asia-Pacific region closely.
Daniel remained silent, understanding the implications: the USS Washington was set to play a growing role in Japan-Russia conflicts and to join Washington's broader contest with the Soviet Union in the Pacific.
"Alright, time for our Nimitz-class carrier to head to the designated sea area," Rossman said, tossing his empty coffee cup into the water as he headed for the bridge.
The USS Washington carrier battle group steamed toward the designated area, choosing Tsushima Island as the exercise location—a pointed taunt to the Soviets. The Imperial Russian Navy had suffered a crushing defeat there decades ago.
Escorted by the Normandy cruiser and the destroyers Brisk, Cannon, and Simpson, the Washington group moved like a powerful sea overlord. Carrier-based aircraft were lined up and ready for takeoff, and the carrier's guns were aimed at the target zone.
The exercise simulated Japan retaking designated islands, with US carrier aircraft providing air cover to attack enemy ground forces. Following prior intelligence, Japan first used artillery to destroy enemy ground air defenses, then US fighter jets launched air-to-ground attacks on key targets.
After clearing the way, landing ships moved in. Under the protection of barrages and coordinated firepower, Type 74 main battle tanks stormed the beaches, braving enemy artillery fire. Self-Defense Force units quickly secured coastal areas and built fortifications.
In the 1990s, Japan's Self-Defense Forces still retained some combat effectiveness. During the exercise, they advanced swiftly into enemy strategic areas, using paratrooper drops behind enemy lines to disrupt bases and seize communication command posts—gaining the upper hand in the operation.
However, the U.S. military intelligence observers shook their heads with some regret over the performance of the Self-Defense Forces. In private discussions, they criticized Japanese tactics as too rigid and noted that the targets in the exercise were basically sitting ducks waiting for artillery strikes—resulting in much slower progress compared to U.S. forces.
After long deliberation, the observers finally concluded that while Japan's Self-Defense Forces did have combat effectiveness, they were only on par with South Korea or North Korea. When facing the battle-hardened Soviet forces, however, they would likely be outmatched.
Unsurprisingly, the first to bristle at this assessment was Gen Nakatani. Though the exercise was still ongoing, he sharply challenged the U.S. intelligence experts. "I don't believe this evaluation is a fair or prepared assessment. While the Self-Defense Force's size hasn't expanded recently, it doesn't mean we haven't trained a highly capable naval force."
One intelligence officer responded patiently, "We're not denying your achievements, Mr. Nakatani. But there remains a significant gap between your forces and the Soviet Navy."
"The Soviet Navy is currently the second-largest fleet in the world after the United States. Although their carrier battle groups have only recently reached full operational status, they are already a formidable force—second only to the British Royal Navy. Over the past few decades, their rapid naval development has shifted their doctrine from saturation strikes to carrier group warfare, similar to the U.S. Armed forces are approaching parity with us."
The observers spoke without exaggeration. The launch of the Varyag and the accelerated construction of the Ulyanovsk over the past year demonstrated the Soviet Union's unwavering commitment to naval power and its active challenge to U.S. dominance in the Pacific—a remarkable stance for a traditionally land-focused power.
"But don't forget," Nakatani snapped, "the Japanese Navy competed directly with the U.S. Navy in the Pacific War!"
Mentioning the Pacific War—a sensitive subject between the U.S. and Japan—caused a brief, awkward silence among the American experts. None knew how to respond.
At that moment, Zhonggu Yuan left the observation room, leaving the American officers behind. Just as he stepped outside, a man hurriedly approached, breathless, and handed him a document.
"The Soviet Union has launched joint military exercises in the Sea of Okhotsk, deploying two aircraft carriers: the newly launched Varyag and a Kuznetsov-class carrier loaned from the Northern Fleet," the messenger reported.
Nakatani's mouth twitched in surprise. He had expected the Soviet counterexercise to be around the four northern islands, but instead, it was confined to the Sea of Okhotsk.
"There's more," the messenger added. "After operations in the Sea of Okhotsk, Soviet fighters have repeatedly approached Japanese waters. We scrambled our interceptors several times."
Nakatani raised an eyebrow, anticipating another Soviet naval maneuver—but what followed made his heart drop.
"The Soviet Air Force has dispatched Tu-series strategic bombers heading toward the waters off the Japanese mainland—and they show no sign of turning back."