Japanese marines take part in an amphibious assault during Talisman Sabre training in Queensland, Australia, Aug. 2, 2023. (Vincent Pham/U.S. Marine Corps)
TOKYO — Japan’s Ministry of Defense has asked for a 13.5% increase in military spending for next fiscal year, the second year of a buildup against perceived threats from China, North Korea and Russia.
The ministry on Thursday unveiled its $52.9 billion spending request, a record-high amount and the 12th consecutive year of increased military spending. If approved by the nation’s parliament, the plan would top this year’s defense budget by $6.8 billion.
"For the budget request for fiscal 2024, which will be the second year of the Defense Buildup Program, we will maintain necessary equipment and Self-Defense Forces facilities in order to fundamentally strengthen our defense capabilities by fiscal 2027, and therefore request increased expenditures than last fiscal year in most fields," the budget request document states.
The spending increase is rooted in three significant policy statements Japan adopted in December, the National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy and Defense Buildup Program.
A July white paper by Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada stressed diplomacy first in conflict resolution but said Japan must also prepare to "defend our country by ourselves" with increased deterrence. “In other words, we need to make the opponent think that ‘attacking Japan will not achieve its goals.’ ”
The proposed defense budget seeks $5.2 billion to develop, manufacture and acquire various types of stand-off missile capabilities, a key component of Japan’s strategy. This includes development and mass production of improved surface-to-ship guided missiles, which could be used to strike enemy bases.
It also requested $259.6 million to build two destroyers equipped with the Aegis Combat System, the anti-air and anti-missile defense system. The destroyers are an alternative to a previously scrapped plan for a land-based Aegis Ashore missile defense system.
Japan Air Self-Defense Force cadets visit Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Aug. 23, 2023. (Raymond Tong/U.S. Marine Corps)
Although no specific amount is listed, the budget request includes a plan to set up a permanent joint command with about 240 personnel that oversees three Self-Defense Force branches in central Tokyo by March 2025.
The National Defense Strategy calls for a permanent, joint command linking the Ground, Maritime and Air Self-Defense Forces for effective operations in the space, cyber and electromagnetic domains. The budget request states a need for a counterpart to the Hawaii-based U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
Japan set a spending goal in its defense building of $295 billion between 2023 and 2027. The military’s budget is expected to peak at $60.8 billion in fiscal 2027. The Japanese fiscal year begins April 1.
This year's defense budget, the first under the buildup program, is a record-high $46.6 billion, a 26.3% increase from the previous year.
