It’s the year 2041 - Amidst rising tensions between China and Japan over a number of disputed island groups in the East China Sea, Tokyo has send its latest aircraft carrier Shinano, together with a number of destroyers to the Senkaku Islands in response to China's deployment of a carrier battle group not far from the area.

The Shinano is the latest and most advanced warship of the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force and has been declared fully operational just a few months earlier.

With a length of 308m, a beam of 80m and a displacement of 80,000 tons, they are Japan's largest warships since the end of WW2.

Besides its impressive air wing of around 72 fixed wing and rotary aircraft, including 32 F-35B Lightning IIs and 18 of Japan's domestically developed and produced next-generation Mitsubishi F-X fighters, as well as large numbers of UAVs/UCAVs, the Shinano is also fitted with the nonlethal Optical Dazzling Interdictor Navy (ODIN)-system, and a new 750 kW solid-state laser weapon, capable of downing incoming hypersonic anti-ship cruise missiles like the Russian SS-N-27 Sizzler or the Chinese YJ-18. The new 750 kW solid-state laser is installed on the Shinano, because the system requires a lot of space and above all, a lot of power that currently only the Shinano's powerful turbines can produce. Beijing has reacted furiously to Japan’s move.