TOKYO, Aug 31 (NNN-NHK) – Japan’s Ministry of Defence, submitted a record-breaking defence budget request of 8.54 trillion yen (about 59 billion U.S. dollars) for the fiscal year 2025.
The request yesterday marked the first time the country’s defence budget request has surpassed the 8-trillion-yen mark, reflecting the government’s intensified focus on enhancing its military capabilities.
Local media reports showed that, the defence budget for the fiscal period that begins in Apr, places significant emphasis on boosting Japan’s so-called “counterattack capabilities.”
The defence ministry plans to allocate 970 billion yen to enhance Japan’s long-range defence capabilities, which include the deployment and mass production of various long-range missiles.
An additional 323.2 billion yen would be set aside for the development of a satellite constellation system, that aims to deploy multiple small satellites, capable of detecting and tracking warships, vessels, and missiles.
Furthermore, three billion yen would be invested in deploying self-destruct drones, for Japan’s Ground Self-Defence Force.
The proposed expansion of Japan’s military capabilities has raised concerns domestically and internationally. Japan’s push to develop the capability to strike enemy bases marks a departure from its post-war pacifist constitution, which adheres to an “exclusively defence-oriented policy,” according to Japanese newspaper, Tokyo Shimbun.
Such a shift is seen as potentially sparking an arms race in the region, which could destabilise the regional security landscape, the report added.
At the end of 2022, the Fumio Kishida government, despite widespread opposition, forcefully updated three security and defence-related documents, including the National Security Strategy.
The government also plans to allot about 43 trillion yen to defence outlays from fiscal 2023 through 2027, nearly 1.6 times the amount over the previous five-year period. (1 U.S. dollar equals 146.21 Japanese yen)– NNN-NHK
