Si vis pacem, para bellum. That seems the philosophy that Japan has decided to adopt 75 years after its defeat in World War II. The Latin maxim means “If you want peace, prepare for war” and the Japanese government is preparing to adapt it to its moment and situation, thus forgetting its pacifist policy. The country is going to double its military spending over the next five years.
After the war it lost against the United States, Japan adopted a pacifist constitution. Little by little, as the distance with that moment in history grew, the firmness of that pacifism diminished. But it has been with the new century, that is, with the confirmation of China as a superpower and the aggressive militarism of North Korea, when Japan has been forced to change.
Japan will increase its military budget to reach 2% of GDP in 2027
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government announced this December that his country will double its military spending over the next five years. That spending will increase until it reaches 2% of GDP in 2027, thus breaking the ceiling of 1% that it maintained.
It is the most drastic change in security strategy that has occurred in recent decades. By 2027, Japan will be the third largest military power in the world in terms of defense budget, behind the US and China, according to estimates. Asian News.
Not just defense: it will have “counter-attacking ability”
Japan is going to equip itself with the necessary defense means to attack enemy military bases and is going to increase its capabilities for cybernetic warfare. “Unfortunately, close to our country there are countries carrying out activities such as increasing nuclear capacity, a rapid accumulation of military power, and a unilateral attempt to change the world.” status quo by force,” Kishida said. He was referring, of course, to China and North Korea.
Near our nation there are countries that are increasing their nuclear capacity and accumulating military power.”
The main novelty, called “counterattack capability” in the documents, stipulates that Japan must have the military means to hit targets in enemy territory “within the minimum necessary self-defense measures”, to deal with what is defined as ” the most dire security environment since World War II.
The documents set out three conditions under which these “counterattacks” could be carried out: in the event of an aggression against Japan or an allied country that jeopardizes their survival, when there are no appropriate means to repel the attack, and provided that the use of the force is the minimum possible.
A national security strategy document of the Japanese Executive and quoted by the news agency AFP describes China as “the greatest strategic challenge to ensure peace and stability in Japan.” The text recalls that Beijing has not ruled out the use of force to assert control over Taiwan. In the previous national security strategy from 2013, China and Russia were still described as Japan’s strategic partners.
The Japanese Executive describes China as “the greatest strategic challenge to ensure peace and stability in Japan”
The Japanese refer to China, but the one who regularly harasses this part of the world is North Korea. Pyongyang has fired more than 50 missiles in the past three months, including a ballistic missile at Japan in October, the first time in five years.
And Russia. From Tokyo, the decisions made by Vladimir Putin in recent years are criticized. Specifically, it is claimed that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a “serious violation of laws prohibiting the use of force” that has “shaken the foundations of international order.”
All of them are arguments that in Japan serve, for example, to justify the upcoming acquisition of long-range US missiles. These projectiles are capable of reaching the launch bases of other countries, if they decide to attack them.
What is Japan going to rearm with?
- Long-range cruise missile ‘Tomahawk’
- hypersonic missiles
- Anti-ship guided missiles
- Sixth generation fighter plane
- combat drones
The country plans to acquire weapons standoff or remote attack, among which the purchase of US-made ‘Tomahawk’ long-range cruise missiles and the domestic development of hypersonic missiles, anti-ship guided missiles and combat drones, among others, stand out as novelties.
To this should be added the Global Combat Air Program, in which Japan has joined forces with Italy and the United Kingdom to design a sixth-generation combat aircraft. The purpose is to be able to surpass the best combat planes of the great military powers.
