The Japan Government, in consent of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved. in Dec, 2018, a long-term national defense strategy – leading ever defense budget of $47bn for the next fiscal year, starting from April, 2019.
The defense spending was part of a $912bn national budget for next fiscal year and Tokyo, the fifth record year in a row. Furthermore, a mid-term defense sketch of stocking $240 billion for next five years has also been paved to beef up weapons and defense paraphernalia. Experts suggest that Tokyo hiked its defense budget with brawny apprehension over a vacillating provincial security state masqueraded from China’s military expansion in provincial waters.
Details of the Defense Budget Hike
In 2013, during his very first term, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe portrayed a 10-year defense guideline plan, which in current circumstance, has been revamped five years ahead of schedule to deal with the nation’s conventional land, sea and air defense system’s burgeoning cyber security threats and aggressive outer space military growth. The hike in the defence budget is in accord of the same line and has obtained Abe’s cabinet approval and now only needs approval by parliament, where Abe’s party possesses a majority.
The two major additions in the Japan’s military through the defense budget hike will encompass introduction of US military’s Aegis Ashore land-based missile interceptor system and allocation of six Lockheed Martin Corp F-35A stealth jets which is going to be an integral part of Japan’s first aircraft carriers since World War II. In totality, Japan plans to procure 45 F-35 stealth fighters, worth $4bn, in addition to 42 jets on order. The new jets will comprise 18 shorts take off and vertical landing (STOVL) B variants of F-35 to be deployed on Japanese islands along the edge of East China Sea.
Japan also plans to upgrade two of its existing helicopter carriers- the Izumo and Kaga so that they can launch fighters. Defense Minister Takeshi tells that the new equipment outlays as “indispensable” to shield Japan while also highlights that the costs negotiations with the U.S. that are enduring for mass acquisition are a way to cut overall costs. The value of these pricey weapons will be completed under a long-term payment contract with USA’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) who will also look after the possibilities to abate Japan’s defense spending bills.
In current scenario, Tokyo wishes to upgrade two of its self-defense aircraft carriers with “offensive” competency- largely to accommodate F-35B stealth fighter jets on board. The defense buildup program carries the highest stature for seventh successive year signaling an impulsive swing from a post war self-defense only posture. Japan has already allocated an order to procure two long range Aegis Ashore missile interceptors worth $1.2bn each to preserve faraway islands along with nine E2D early caveat detector aircraft valued at $3.13 billion dollars.
Furthermore, in the list are four Boeing Co KC-46 Pegasus refueling planes to extend the range of Japanese aircraft and nine Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye early-warning planes. More electronic warfare competencies were also planned to be incorporated.
Reasons and Support
The latest defense strategy pioneered as an obscure jargon- “multidimensional joint defense force” concept, which bolsters the necessity to spend in more technologically advanced spheres of warfare. However, under domicile pressure, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga reassured that the measures would mean to buttress the air defense system within “the minimum necessary level of force permissible” under the pacifist constitution.
Abe’s government argues that with the burgeoning expansion of China’s military footprint and in the vague promises of North Korea to abandon all nuclear facilities and destroying ballistic missiles, the efforts to strengthen the military system are necessary with further defence challenges in the region. The ever-increasing Chinese aggression in the South China Sea and their further steps, like building artificial islands beyond its own territory in the South China Sea and the continuous tests of North Korean ballistic missiles, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, in the Japan sea has kept Japan in constant wary for its own protection under any regional threat.
Regarding this escalating Chinese threat and Japan’s enhanced defence budget, Akira Kato, Professor of international politics and regional security at Tokyo’s J F Oberlin University said that
Japan’s growing defence budget is directly aimed to counter China’s military threat.
Donald Trump has frequently criticized the huge trade deficit of Washington with Tokyo and also urged Abe to enlarge the country’s defensive competence. This US pressure also played a key role to enhance the defense budget of Japan. The new F-35 order also facilitated Japan to forestall a trade war with the United States. Trump, who proposed to impose tariffs on Japanese car imports, thanked Abe for buying the F-35s when the two leaders congregated at a summit in Argentina. Kato also said that “the budget gain is also part of Japan’s efforts to buy more US military equipment so that it can avoid a trade war with Washington,”
Opposition
However, the sudden increment in defense budget has aroused substantial controversy. Critics argued with this, Tokyo is gradually moving away from its commitment to strictly defensive abilities under Japan’s post-World War II pacifist constitution. The thrust to protect its aircraft carriers is expected to be challenged by opposition when the regular Diet session reconvenes early this year as a contradiction to the constitution’s war renouncing attitude.
Meanwhile, the need of political harangue surrounding the efficiency and rewards of upgrading its own “attack” capabilities have also raised eyebrows for departing against the US-Japan security coalition for military command that believes Japan as a ‘shield’ and the US as a ‘sword’.
Beijing immediately expressed its “strong dissatisfaction and opposition” to the program unveiled on Tuesday, urging Tokyo “to adhere to a purely defensive policy”.
Conclusion
The sudden defence budget hike has also changed the Pacific Ocean dynamics of the concerned region. It definitely signals China that Tokyo is not fearful of continuous Chinese aggression in the area, rather whenever require, Tokyo will bolster its defence system to counterfeit the Chinese belligerence.
Basically, with this announcement, Japan tried to target two birds with the one arrow- in one hand it pleases US, showing the wish to curb the US-Japan trade deficit and on the other Tokyo targeted its long enduring Chinese antagonism. However, it has to be remembered that despite of the fact that Japan uses 1 percent of its GDP on defense outflow- lower than most developed countries, still an ageing and dismal population trajectory could see future generations crippled by liability repayments.
Image Credit: Japan Ministry of Defence Website