Japan: As one of the world's top military spenders, Japan is about to approve the biggest increase in defense spending since the end of the war.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's ruling party plans to request a budget for fiscal year 2023 for the Defense Ministry by the end of August, doubling spending over the course of five years from this year's 5.4 trillion yen (US$39.5 billion). wants to do
An expenditure of that size could move Japan from ninth in the world for military spending to third behind the US and China, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, or SIPRI, which tracks defense spending.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, China's provocation towards Taiwan and North Korea's nuclear weapons have alarmed Japanese citizens and strengthened their support for increased spending. According to the World Bank, the three nuclear-armed countries bordering Japan also have the world's three largest armies, with a total of 5.5 million personnel. The Self-Defense Force, Japan's military, is made up of approximately 231,000 people.
Japan is under pressure to spend more money on less obvious things like pay increases, ammunition, spare parts and logistics, in addition to buying physical equipment.
According to retired Vice Admiral Toshiyuki Ito, professor at the Kanazawa Institute of Technology, most people probably believe that doubling the defense budget would yield significantly more equipment. But it's not just about accumulating more things,
Ballistic missiles fired by China during military exercises around Taiwan this month that landed close to Japan's southwestern islands are a reminder of current issues. According to Kishida, Taiwan is on the front line of conflict between China and the US, and any untoward incident in the Taiwan Strait will have dire consequences for Japan.
Because of its pacifist constitution, Japan has historically kept its military spending less than 1% of its GDP, relying instead on the "nuclear umbrella" of the US to support its capabilities. However, in an unusual move, Mainichi newspaper and other media have reported that no limit will be placed on expenditure requests at this time.
According to Kyodo News, while the initial request for 2023 for the Ministry of Finance would represent a relatively modest increase of 5.5 trillion yen (US$40.2 billion), the final amount is projected to increase as unspecified costs for about 100 items are finalised. form has been given.
According to Yomiuri, the ministry is looking at introducing unmanned aerial combat drones as well as improved missile and radar systems that can intercept rockets from China and North Korea, including hypersonic systems. According to the newspaper, Japan intends to build a missile arsenal of about 1,000 weapons that can be launched from aircraft and ships and delivered to China and North Korea.
According to Yomiuri, co-development of the next generation fighter jet will be funded with the UK.
Ito believes that there is no need for more battleships, despite his career in the SDF's Marine Division. Even as Tokyo expanded its fleet of fighters, it would still have trouble finding enough pilots, he continued, until the pay of its soldiers improved.
Ito recommends investing extra money in unconventional things like hiring "white hat" hackers to help protect the lightning network.
Japan's SDF has about 16,000 fewer members than planned in the budget. According to experts, this shortcoming is partly due to the lack of age-appropriate candidates in the country with the world's oldest population, as well as a frugal attitude towards compensation.
Alessio Petalano, Professor of War and Strategy in East Asia at King's College London, said current SDF pay and support "simply is not enough" and that personnel management and the general well-being of Japanese military personnel should be a priority.
According to the Ministry of Defense, an officer-level university graduate who enlists in the military receives a salary of about 3.6 million yen (US$26,400) in their first year, increasing by the time they turn 40. becomes 6 million yen. Allowances for dangerous posting can be added to this. After four years of experience, the annual salary of a US Army officer is likely to be around $62,000.
According to Corey Wallace, an assistant professor at Kanagawa University in Yokohama, Japan, Japan should increase its stockpile of fuel, parts and ammunition to address concerns that if a conflict breaks out, it will have a chance to survive. may not have the stamina.
Japan has been steadily increasing its defense spending for the past ten years, starting a policy U-turn after the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office in 2012.
Following the start of the war in Ukraine, the escalation plan has received a favorable response in the polls, with almost 50% of respondents in a June poll by Jiji Press. However, most people objected to the doubling of the budget of the world's most indebted country.
According to Professor Aurelia George Mulgan of the University of New South Wales, who specializes in Japanese politics and regional security, this disagreement over the scope of change could lead to a political deadlock.
She predicts a "potential fight down the road" between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Kishida's new Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, who may try to keep spending under control.
There is some caveat that the strengthening of defense may not have an impact on Japan unless it is coupled with appropriate diplomatic and economic strategy.
According to Naoko Aoki, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Asia Security Initiative and a non-resident, "Japan cannot make itself more secure simply by increasing its defense spending." "Increasing Japan's defense capabilities could make other countries in the region feel threatened, prompting them to respond in a way that leaves no one better off than before."
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