She feels insecure
Japan doubles its military power in facing security challenges
The Japanese force will witness a qualitative development in capabilities and capabilities during the next stage.
Reuters
Prime Minister Kishida sensed the external danger that prompted him to take this decision.
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The year 2022 was not about to leave, until Japan surprised us with a large-caliber development, as it announced a few days ago a change in its defense doctrine, from pure defense to defense and attack, as it announced its intention to increase military spending by the equivalent of 2% of its national income, including the acquisition of weapons. Advanced defense and long-range missiles, including the American Tomahawk missiles, in addition to a system of offensive weapons to be used to defend itself against the threat represented by China and North Korea, and even to enable it to launch a preemptive strike if needed.
In this report, we will try to discuss the various reasons and dimensions that led to this decision, and the regional and international consequences.
indication
Japan's new national security strategy, and related defense plans, imply that there will be significant military modernization efforts in the face of perceived threats in Northeast Asia, especially China.
The author, Sheila Smith, a researcher specializing in Japanese studies at the American Council on Foreign Relations, says that the government of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed in mid-December to the most ambitious and rapid expansion of military power in Japan since the establishment of the Self-Defense Forces in the country in 1954. The goal It is twofold: strengthening Japan's ability to deter aggression, and ensuring the SDF's combat readiness in the event of a conflict.
Kishida promised to raise the share of GDP allocated to national security to 2%, up from the traditional maximum of 1% in the past four decades.
Three documents
Three documents that will confront the expansion of the army were announced. The first relates to the new national security strategy, presents Tokyo's assessment of the threats lined up against it, and identifies the diplomatic, economic, technological, and military tools it will use to address them.
This strategy, only the second in Japan's postwar history, points to China, North Korea and Russia as a particular concern.
The second document, the Ten-Year National Defense Plan, outlines the military improvements required for the SDF to carry out its work.
The list of defense improvements is comprehensive, as the plan calls for a new integrated operational command of the three forces of the SDF, expanded space and cyber capabilities, and the acquisition of long-range offensive capabilities.
The third document, a five-year procurement plan, sets out priorities for implementing the defense plan.
An estimated $320 billion will be spent in this initial period, which begins in the next fiscal year and continues through 2027.
Smith says that the most prominent aspects of Japan's new security strategy are represented in several points:
First, and most obviously, is the introduction of the long-range conventional strike option. For several years, Japan has been working to develop what it calls its “confrontational” ability, or the ability to respond to threats in the sea and airspace surrounding the Japanese archipelago.
The missiles it used for coastal defenses have a limited range of about 200 km, but the new air-to-air missiles purchased from Norway will have a range of more than 480 km.
Japan will now look to introduce missiles with a range of 1,610 km.
new capabilities
These are likely to be American-made Tomahawk cruise missiles, so that Japan can build new ones on its own.
These new capabilities would allow Japan to strike targets deep in mainland Asia, and are intended to make potential aggressors rethink before attacking Japan.
The new strategy also emphasizes the development of indigenous technology in Japan.
The share of the national budget given to innovation will for the first time include technologies needed for the country's defenses, and strategic competition will be one of the engines of national investment in research and development.
The Ministry of Defense will also look to support increased investment in weapons development, both in domestic production and through international consortia.
Missile development will be a priority.
New interest
Finally, defense planners paid serious attention to the SDF's ability to fight as a cohesive force and to maintain operations throughout a crisis or conflict.
Priorities include developing integrated operational planning, including a new joint command, and investing in the resilience of the forces, as making civilian airports and ports accessible to the Self-Defense Forces, including its latest platforms such as the F-35 fighter jet, as well as destroyers, will cut A long way to ensure readiness.
The war in Ukraine also instilled a sense of urgency in Japan when it came to securing basic logistical requirements such as fuel, ammunition, and other vital supplies.
Jump
Why, Smith asks, is Japan making these changes?
She says that this jump in arming the Self-Defense Forces is the result of several factors, the most obvious of which is the increasing presence of foreign armies in and around Japan.
North Korean missiles cross Japan's exclusive economic zone and territory frequently and without warning.
The Chinese military regularly operates near Japanese waters and airspace.
The territorial dispute between Japan and China over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea attracts a great deal of attention from the Coast Guard and the military.
These obvious threats have grown since the end of the Cold War, and defense planners have long advocated many of the improvements in the new plan.
Meanwhile, the pace of technological change among militaries in the region is accelerating, and Japan is falling behind.
Indeed, Northeast Asia's growing missile arsenals, which are now faster, more accurate, and harder to detect, have deepened Japan's sense of vulnerability.
Tokyo has emphasized ballistic missile defenses for some time to deal with this deployment, but the sheer amount of missiles in the region makes it unrealistic to rely on those defenses alone.
asymmetric capabilities
Moreover, hypersonic missile technology exacerbated the situation by making incoming missiles virtually undetectable until it was too late.
New asymmetric capabilities that China has developed also threaten to undermine the United States' ability to assist Japan.
Smith believes that change is coming quickly and forcefully across the world.
The message being sent from Tokyo is that Japan will be prepared to act without hesitation if it needs to defend itself.
• Northeast Asia's growing missile arsenals, which are now faster, more accurate, and harder to detect, have deepened Japan's sense of vulnerability.
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