Japanese Government approves record military spending

(VNF) - Japanese Government on Thursday (Dec. 22^nd) approved an increase in defence spending to record levels.

Prime Minister Abe's cabinet on Thursday signed off on a 1.4 percent increase in spending to JPY5.13 trillion (USD43.65 billion) for the year starting April 1^st.

If approved by lawmakers, which is highly likely given the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's control of parliament, it will be the fifth straight annual increase in outlays.

Japan’s cabinet approved a record defense budget of just over JPY 5 trillion for the year starting April. (Photo: EPA)

The rise in annual military spending was a trend that started after PM Shinzo Abe took office in late 2012. Separately, an extra spending package approved for the current financial year included JPY171 million (USD1.45 million) for defense, with the focus on ballistic missile defense as fears grow over North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities.

Defense Minister Tomomi Inada said last month that while the government didn’t have a concrete plan to introduce a U.S. missile defense shield, it was considering the option. Deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system in the country could hurt ties with Russia and China, which have both opposed its planned introduction in South Korea.

Japan's Self Defense Forces are pivoting away from guarding the nation's north to reinforce an island chain stretching 1,400 km (870 miles) along the southern edge of the East China Sea.

That means fewer tank pisions in favour of building a mobile force equipped with hardware such as tilt-rotor Osprey carriers, ships, amphibious vehicles and mobile missile batteries./.

( Compiled by VNF )