????澳大利亞和越南已經(jīng)表示有興趣從日本購買一些更先進(jìn)的軍事技術(shù)。華萊士說，日本的潛水艇尤其受到青睞，而且將特別適合在西太平洋可能發(fā)生的那類意外事件中使用——應(yīng)對(duì)一些小規(guī)模戰(zhàn)斗，而不是核戰(zhàn)爭。他說：“外界認(rèn)為日本最新的柴電潛艇蒼龍?zhí)枺⊿oryu）是目前最好的非核潛艇之一?！?/p>

????日本喜歡昂貴的國防硬件，這一點(diǎn)在它的高科技軍備中也有體現(xiàn)。最典型的是日本頂尖的驅(qū)逐艦，搭載國內(nèi)研發(fā)了20年的最先進(jìn)技術(shù)作戰(zhàn)系統(tǒng)（ATECS）。此外，一旦日本領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人需要，它能在6個(gè)月內(nèi)能擁有核武器（有些人相信日本已經(jīng)秘密地做到了這一點(diǎn)）。日本能夠迅速成為世界頂級(jí)軍事力量，只要這個(gè)世界第三大經(jīng)濟(jì)體把頭從土垛里探出來，不再隱身。

????Already Australia and Vietnam have voiced an interest in purchasing some of Japan's more advanced military technology. The country's submarines are especially admired, says Wallace, and will be particularly appropriate for the types of contingencies we are likely to see in the Western Pacific. Small skirmishes, not nuclear war. "Japan's most recent diesel-electric E submarine, the Soryu, is considered one of the best non-nuclear submarine systems around," he says.

????Japan has a taste for pricey defense hardware which shows in its high-spec armaments. Typical are the Japanese first-class destroyers, with the latest advanced technology developed combat system (ATECS) that spent 20 years in domestic development. Add to this the knowledge that Japan could be nuclear capable given six months (something a few believe it has secretly achieved already) should its rulers wish it. Japan could quickly become one of the top military powers in the world. All it would take for the planet's third-richest nation is to stick its collective head above the parapet and cease being, well, invisible.