Japanese Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada said on Thursday that the country has sought its biggest-ever budget, worth more than ¥7.7 trillion (~$52.67 billion) in spending, for the fiscal year of 2023.
The move comes amid Japanese PM Fumio Kishida’s plan to increase defence spending after years of pacifist policies adopted by the East Asian power.
Overview
Japan is seeking to revamp its post-World War 2 military called the Self Defence Forces.
As per the plan, the country will set up a new permanent joint headquarters for its three branches.
The Defence Ministry plans to launch the new command staffed with 240 officials in Tokyo’s Ichigaya area by March 2025.
Further, the military has requested $16 billion, more than 15.5% from the past year to maintain and sustain equipment.
The budget is a 13% hike over the previous year’s record ¥6.82 trillion (~$46 billion) budget.
Japan's defense ministry made a record spending request of $52.7 billion for fiscal 2024, the latest step of a plan to double defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product by 2027 https://t.co/eJe3JZDk5Z
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 31, 2023
Additionally, the latest request is expected to add antimissile systems and boost maintenance for the country’s military.
As per the request, the Ministry plans to invest in ammunition and weapons and strengthen logistics capabilities.
The budget includes funding for three new landing ships, 17 transport helicopters, and a new specialised transport team to improve deployment capabilities.
If approved, the country will have raised its defence spending by an additional trillion yen for the second consecutive year.
NSS, Changing Japanese Policy
All of this is a part of Kishida’s plans under the country’s new National Security Strategy (NSS) launched in December.
In a controversial move earlier this year, Kishida decided to raise the country’s defence budget to 2% of Japan’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2027, as Japan moves away from its traditional defence-only posture to acquire a more active role in the region.
On Monday, the US approved the sale of up to 50 extended-range air-to-surface missiles to Japan. Tokyo is also set to acquire 400 US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles by 2026. Additionally, Japan is domestically developing some standoff missiles.
The country will spend around $2.6 billion to build two new types of ships equipped with the Aegis anti-missile system.
Threats to Japan
Threats from frequent North Korean missile tests and the rising belligerence in the Indo-Pacific have led to a rise in Japan’s military spending.
The increased aggression from China and Japan’s increased military cooperation with the US is also behind Tokyo’s militarisation.
Recent relations with China have been deteriorating, with Beijing imposing a seafood import ban on Tokyo. The move came as Japan started the dumping of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea last week despite Chinese opposition.