The Japanese government approved the largest amendment to its defense policy since the end of World War II, and it also approved the new defense policy document that considers China a strategic challenge, and Russia a source of national security concern.

In the framework of the largest review of its defense policy in decades, Japan intends to double its annual defense budget, unify its military leadership and increase the range of its missiles.

Japanese public opinion supports these changes, which constitute a major change for this country, which adopts a peaceful constitution approved the day after its defeat at the end of World War II and prevents it from having a real army.

But for its engineers in Tokyo, this review constitutes "the last stage of a slow and gradual normalization" of Japan's position in the areas of defense and national security, according to James Brady, deputy head of the Teneo Studies Office.

Japan's pacifist constitution, which was written by the American occupier after the country's defeat at the end of World War II and entered into force in 1947, does not allow Tokyo to have an army in itself.

Expected changes

Japan will significantly increase its military capabilities over the next five years in the face of what it considers threats from China and North Korea.

The following are some of the expected changes in Japan's defense policy:

The ability to launch a counterattack

One of Japan's military spending targets scheduled by 2027 (about 300 billion euros over 5 years, up 56% over the previous 5 years) will be to have a "counterattack" capability with weapons that can target enemy missile launch sites, but the Japanese government still considers It defensively.

In this context, Japan will consider purchasing up to 500 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States, in addition to the long-range SM-6 missiles.

However, counter strikes require, according to the new strategy, the fulfillment of 3 conditions:

The existence of an inevitable danger to Japan, or to a friendly country, which leads to an inevitable danger to Japan.

and that there is no other means of avoiding blows deemed hostile.

The response should be as minimal as possible.

Upgrading and developing missiles

Japan also wants to deploy more than 1,000 long-range cruise missiles, mainly by improving its Type 12 truck-mounted anti-ship missiles, which were developed by Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, but have a current range of only 200 km.

Tokyo is also considering developing hypersonic missiles that fly at 5 times the speed of sound (Mach 5).

Build dozens of warehouses for ammunition

The amendments also stipulate that Japan will build about 130 new ammunition depots on its soil by 2035 to accommodate "counter-attack" missiles and other weapons.


South Islands

In the face of Beijing's growing presence in the seas, Japan is supposed to focus on significantly strengthening its military presence on its southernmost islands, which are closer to Taiwan and mainland China.

Thus, Tokyo will triple the number of SDF units equipped with ballistic missile interception capabilities.

Local media reported that the Japanese government also plans to increase the number of its soldiers stationed in Okinawa Prefecture, at the southwestern tip of the archipelago, from the current 2,000 to 3,000.

Unified military command

Another important change is to place the Japan's Land, Sea and Air Self-Defense Forces within 5 years under a unified command in order to respond more quickly to emergencies.

In this context, the army's use of the country's civilian ports and airports should be facilitated even in times of peace.

Improve coordination with Washington

Japan also wants to improve its coordination with its US ally in order to better prepare for a possible crisis in Taiwan.

Tokyo wants long-range missiles capable of hitting missile launch sites abroad if attacked.

Government documents refer to the American intercontinental Tomahawk missiles, which Japanese news agencies recently reported that Tokyo wants to buy up to 500 of them, in addition to the long-range SM-6 missiles.

Drones

It is assumed that new specialized units will be created from the Self-Defense Forces, which will be responsible for drones and electronic warfare.

Information war

Capabilities to collect information and respond to high-tech weapons such as flying bombs and hypersonic weapons will also be improved.

Development of a new combat aircraft

Japan will also develop a next-generation combat aircraft by 2035 together with the United Kingdom and Italy.

Double the defense budget

At the heart of its new "national security strategy", Japan plans to double its annual defense budget, which currently stands at about 1% of its gross domestic product, to 2% by 2027, adopting a similar commitment made by NATO member states.

And part of the means of financing this massive effort on schedule is not yet known, and the possibility of raising taxes to achieve this is controversial in the country.

In addition, Japan presented a map that identified the most important allies and adversaries, especially with regard to its view of China, North Korea and Russia.

China.. a strategic challenge

In this policy, China's increasingly powerful military position was described as "a source of great concern to Japan and the international community," as Beijing poses "an unprecedented strategic challenge to Japan's peace and stability."

Japanese media said that the Self-Defense Forces in the islands located in the far south of Japan and closest to Taiwan, and thus to China as well;

Their number will increase as the size of the ballistic missile interception units increases by 3 times.

Japan's longstanding concerns about China were heightened last August when Beijing stepped up military exercises near Taiwan, with missiles slamming into the sea in the Japanese archipelago's exclusive economic zone.

North Korea.. a serious threat

The documents, seen by Agence France-Presse, indicate that Japan intends to enhance the capabilities of its Coast Guard units and increase its cooperation with the armies and coast guards of other countries, without giving additional details.

The National Security Strategy points to repeated missile launches from North Korea, arguing that Pyongyang's military actions pose "a grave and imminent threat to Japan today more than ever before."

Russia... a major concern

As for Russia, its "willingness to use force to achieve its own security goals, as is the case in Ukraine, is clear," and its military activities in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as its strategic cooperation with China, are matters that "constitute a major source of concern in the field of security," according to the documents.

And the new Japanese strategy aroused even before its official announcement the resentment of Beijing, which constantly talks about "brutal Japanese militarism" in the first half of the 20th century, of which China was one of its victims.

"Japan ignores facts, walks away from common understandings and adherence to good bilateral relations, and smears China. We firmly oppose this," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Friday.

On the other hand, Washington welcomed this strategy.

"Japan's goal of significantly increasing its defense investment will strengthen and modernize the US-Japan alliance," said White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.