Why Japan is boosting its arms capability, budget
來源：開云體育app官方網站發布日期：2023-01-23 19:19:30 瀏覽：69
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| Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attends a press conference in Tokyo, Dec. 16. AFP-Yonhap |
Japan this week adopted a new national security strategy that includes possession of a ''counterstrike" capability to preempt enemy attacks, and doubles its spending to gain a more offensive footing and improve its resilience to protect itself from growing risks from China, North Korea and Russia. The new strategy marks a historic change to Japan's exclusively self-defense policy since the end of World War II. Here is a look at Japan's new security and defense strategies and how they will change the country's defense posture.
Counterstrike capability
The biggest change in the National Security Strategy is possession of a ''counterstrike capability'' that Japan calls ''indispensable." Tokyo aims to achieve capabilities ''to disrupt and defeat invasions against its nation much earlier and at a further distance'' within about 10 years.
This puts an end to the 1956 government policy that shelved the capability to strike enemy targets and only recognized the idea constitutionally as a last-ditch defense.
Japan says missile attacks against it have become ''a palpable threat'' and its current interceptor-reliant missile defense system is insufficient. North Korea has launched around 63 missiles this year alone including one that overflew Japan, and China has fired ballistic missiles into waters near southern Japanese islands.
Japan says the use of a counterstrike capability is constitutional if it's in response to signs of an imminent enemy attack, but experts say it is extremely difficult to conduct such an attack without risking blame for striking first. Opponents say strike capability goes beyond self-defense under Japan's pacifist constitution.
''(Japan's) exclusive self-defense policy is hollowed," the liberal-leaning Asahi newspaper said.
Doubling defense spending
Japan aims to double its defense spending to about 2 percent of its GDP to a total of about 43 trillion yen ($320 billion) through 2027. The new spending target follows the NATO standard and will eventually push Japan's annual budget to about 10 trillion yen ($73 billion), the world's third biggest after the United States and China.
Kishida said his government will need an extra 4 trillion yen ($30 billion) annually and proposed tax increases to fund a quarter of it. His tax-raise request backfired and the five-year defense buildup plan had to be released without full funding plans while the governing party continued discussing how to pay for the shortfall.
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| Three F-15 warplanes of the Japanese Self-Defense Force, foreground, and four F-16 fighters of the U.S. Armed Forces fly over the East Sea, May 25, in this photo provided by the Joint Staff of the Japanese Self-Defense Force. AP-Yonhap |
Long-range missiles
Over the next five years, Japan will spend about 5 trillion yen ($37 billion) on long-range missiles, with a planned deployment beginning in 2026. Japan will purchase U.S.-made Tomahawks and Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles, while Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industry will improve and mass-produce a Type-12 surface-to-ship guided missile. Japanese defense officials said they are still finalizing Tomahawk purchase details.
Japan will also develop other types of weapons such as hypersonic missiles, and unmanned and multi-role vehicles for possible collaboration with the F-X next-generation fighter jet Japan is developing with Britain and Italy for deployment in 2035.
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