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OPINION OCTOBER 27, 2023 | The Indian Eye 10

Japan’s supplementary defense budget

and modernization of its capabilities

The Japanese Ministry of Defense budget request for FY 2023–24 at 7.7 trillion yen is a significant increase

from the FY 2022–23 figure of 6.8 trillion yen

ARNAB DASGUPTA

n 31 August 2023, the Jap-
anese Ministry of Defense
O(MoD) released details of its
budget request for the supplementary
national budget, which is scheduled
to be presented before the extraordi-
nary session of the Diet that will com-
mence on 20 October. The document
titled ‘The Progress of Comprehen-
sive Strengthening of Defense Capa-
bilities and Budget’, provides insights
into Japan’s evolving defense posture
the document is significant because of
the budget of 7.7 trillion yen, which
is a significant increase from the cur-
rent year’s high of 6.8 trillion yen. If
this budget passes as it is, it will imply
that Japan is well on its way to achieve
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s stat-
ed goal of spending over 47 trillion
yen by fiscal 2027 to achieve a total
modernization of Japan’s defense ca-
pabilities, making the Japan Self De- The new supplementary budget issued by the Japanese Ministry of Defense clearly indicates the country’s sincerity
fense Forces (JSDF) the fourth most
well-funded military in the world. in rebuilding its military capabilities (File photo)
The 54-page document initially
lays out in some detail the major pri- island defense, submarine-launched towards the retrofitting of Tomahawk asset defense capabilities, have been
orities of the Japanese armed forces guided missiles and hypersonic guid- cruise missile launch capabilities on its assessed at 118.4 billion yen. The pri-
in the years to come. It declares that ed missiles. The document proposes ships. mary line items concern the produc-
the MoD’s priorities would revolve to set aside a total of 174.9 billion yen Integrated air and missile defense tion or procurement of a variety of
around the following seven pillars: (1) for the Type 12 missiles, with an ad- capabilities has a proposed outlay of Information Collection, Surveillance,
stand-off missile defense capabilities; ditional 101.7 billion yen for guided 1.2 trillion yen. It is divided into two Reconnaissance and Targeting (ISRT)
(2) integrated air and missile defense missiles for island defense. Hyper- parts: strengthening of interceptor platforms, with Unmanned Surface
capabilities; (3) unmanned asset de- sonic missile development and pro- assets and sensor networks. Under Vehicles (USV) and Unmanned Un-
fense capabilities; (4) cross-domain curement is estimated at 80.3 billion the former heading, the primary line derwater Vehicles (UUV) for the
operational capabilities; (5) command yen. The research and development items involve the construction of two MSDF added to existing requests
and control and information-related of precision guided surface-to-sea and new Aegis-class destroyers at an out- from the Ground and Air Self-De-
functions; (6) Mobile deployment ca- surface-to-surface guided missiles has lay of 379.7 billion yen, with the ships fense Forces (GSDF and ASDF re-
pability and civil protection; and (7) been allotted 32 billion yen, while the expected to go into service in 2027–28. spectively) for short- and mid-range
sustainability and durability. procurement of off-the-shelf weap- The MSDF has also requested 75 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
The first three primarily relate ons systems such as the Joint Strike billion yen for the joint development Cross-domain operational ca-
to the procurement of military hard- Missile (JSM, mounted on modified (with the US) of a new Glide Phase In- pabilities envisage integrated opera-
ware. Aside from regular mainte- F-35s) and the Joint Air-to-Surface terceptor missile, which can intercept tions in space, cyber, electromagnetic
nance and upgradation of bases and Stand-Off Missile (JASSM, mount- hypersonic missiles in flight. Under and amphibious domains. Of these,
weapons systems, stand-off missile ed on modified F-15s) -- both jointly the latter heading, a total of 569 bil- space-related capabilities, especial-
defense mainly revolves around the developed with the United States, lion yen has been allotted to upgrade ly information collection as well as
research, development and procure- are estimated to cost 42.3 billion yen. and modernize Japan’s early warning hardened communication networks
ment of indigenously manufactured Modifications to existing air assets and detection sensor network, includ- to promote redundancy, are expected
Mitsubishi Type-12 missiles in all such as F-15s and F-35s are rated at ing the acquisition of new platforms to be strengthened with an outlay of
three variants (anti-ship, anti-aircraft 36.4 billion yen, while the Maritime such as TPS-102A mobile early warn- 165.4 billion yen. Cyber-capabilities
and anti-base) as well as new anti-ship Self-Defense Forces (MSDF) has re- ing and control radars. have been assessed at 230.3 billion
and high-speed gliding missiles for quested an additional 200 million yen The third key pillar, unmanned Continued on next page... >>

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