The government and the ruling parties will discuss concrete measures for strengthening Japan’s defense capabilities ahead of the updating of the National Security Strategy and other key security documents at the end of the year. The Ministry of Defense (MOD) has come up with eight areas to be the pillars of the budgetary request for fiscal 2023 to be submitted by the end of August. The ministry will seek a record budget of over 5.5 trillion yen and cite the eight pillars of the budget request without listing specific amounts. (Abridged)
Pillars envisioned for strengthening Japan’s defense capabilities
|
Standoff defense capabilities |
Swiftly arming the nation with long-range missiles to launch missiles from outside the ranges of enemy missiles. |
|
Air and missile defense |
Improving detection and tracking capabilities and strengthening interception capability. |
|
Unmanned equipment |
Swiftly acquiring and putting into operation unmanned aircraft, warships, and vehicles. |
|
Cross-domain operations |
Strengthening capabilities in the space, cyber, electromagnetic, and cognitive domains. |
|
Command and control, intelligence |
Responding to hybrid and information warfare. |
|
Mobility and deployment capabilities |
Strengthening transportation capacity to swiftly deploy troops. |
|
Sustainability, resiliency |
Securing ammunition and fuel and mitigating parts supply shortages. |
|
Defense production and technology bases |
Supporting domestic industry and promoting exports. |
