Japan’s Defence White Paper, the annual report of the Ministry of Defence — revealed on Friday that the country plans to substantially increase its defence budget in seven areas.
The paper outlines seven pillars that must be strengthened to bolster the nation’s defence capabilities profoundly. The paper estimates that 43.5 trillion yen ($322.2 billion) will be required over the next five years to attain the goal, a significant increase from the 17.2 trillion yen needed between 2019 and 2023.
The development of long-range standoff missiles, which Japan believes would allow it to “respond to opposing forces from a safe distance without being attacked,” is one of the main pillars, with the proposed increase in spending from 200 billion yen to 5 trillion yen.
In addition, the paper seeks 3 trillion yen for the strengthening of missile and air defence systems to defend the skies from various threats, compared to 1 trillion yen for 2019-2023. The paper proposes a tenfold increase in expenditure on drone development, from 100 billion to 1 trillion yen.
Defence spending is expected to rise from 3 trillion yen to 8 trillion yen to guarantee security in the space and cyberspace realms. It is also proposed that the current $300 billion spent on intelligence and command and control be doubled to $2 trillion.
There are plans to allocate significant funds for the maintenance and improvement of defence capabilities, including 2 trillion yen for munitions, 9 trillion yen for the maintenance and repair of military equipment, and 4 trillion yen for improving facilities. Additionally, it is proposed to spend approximately 1.4 trillion yen on strengthening the military and industrial sector and conducting defence research and an additional 6.6 trillion yen on “other requirements.”
The paper devotes considerable attention to “counterstrike capabilities” – “the capabilities which, in the case of missile attacks by an opponent, enable Japan to mount effective counterstrikes against the opponent to prevent further attacks while defending against incoming missiles using the missile defence network” – to deter the adversary and discourage armed attacks.
According to the defence document, North Korea can already strike Japan with nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles. The paper states that North Korea can attack Japan with nuclear-armed ballistic missiles.
North Korea has repeatedly launched ballistic missiles with erratic flight paths and missiles it refers to as ‘hypersonic missiles.’ It is also pursuing the development of long-range cruise missiles with the intent of arming them with tactical nuclear weapons.
In October 2022, it launched multiple ICBM-class missiles and a ballistic missile that passed over Japan. The paper added that such military activities constitute a graver and more imminent threat to Japan’s national security than ever before and a significant threat to the peace, stability, and security of the region and international community.
The paper added that North Korea had approximately 20 nuclear warheads as of 2022. In addition, the paper highlights the significant development of North Korean missile technology, specifically the development of ballistic missiles capable of travelling long distances at low altitudes and on non-standard trajectories, as well as hypersonic missiles.
