Page 8 - ADT MARCH 2023 Latest Magazine | GBP

Other Strategic Plans ling, unmanned aerial and underwater vehicles, joint direct-attack
The NSS also announced plans for a new joint munitions, air-launched stand-off missiles, intelligence satellites,
and the possible acquisition of cruise missiles and hyper-velocity
command in the SDF to oversee its three Self- gliding projectiles.
Defense Force units and better coordinate with
the US military. Japan will also invest in future
high-tech capabilities in realms such as cyber Strong Reliance on the U.S.
and space. The US policymakers have long regarded Japan’s alignment with
Washington’s military strategy as the ‘cornerstone’ for the mainte-
The government plans to invest in updating nance of the entire regional security architecture, and constantly
the JSDF’s maritime and air systems, includ- sought a more proactive Japanese military contribution to the alli-
ing aircraft, ships, and long-range missiles, ance, and for Japan to support other US alliance partners in the
and increase self-reliance by expanding the region. And this new defence initiative by Tokyo has been overtly
domestic arms industry. According to Japanese welcomed by the Biden administration.
defence ministry, the country has realised that
defence capabilities must be able to respond The Japanese government still wholeheartedly supports its alli-
to new ways of warfare as a result of advances ance with the United States, yet is simultaneously seeking to couple
in science and technology. that relationship with the development of indigenous capabilities.
Analysts said Japanese leadership seek an alliance that minimises
From this perspective, Japan has decided to dependence and brings in Tokyo as an equal partner.
respond to situations in a multi-layered way
by cross domain operational capabilities that However, Japan will continue to rely on US imports for many aircraft
enhance the JSDF capabilities overall, through and missiles, with plans to purchase 16 F-35 combat aircraft in 2023
the synergy of organically integrated capabili- as part of a larger package of 65 F-35s to be acquired before 2027.
ties in space, cyberspace, and electromagnetic
domains as well as in ground, maritime and air, “The Japan Air Self-Defense Force will procure an additional eight
and by stand-off defence capabilities and other conventional take-off and landing F-35As (76.8 billion yen) and four
capabilities that will enable Tokyo to respond short take-off and vertical landing F-35Bs during the current fiscal
to invading forces from outside the sphere of year (51 billion yen). Japan is also in the process of acquiring 147 F-35
threats. fighters from the United States over the coming decade. Once the
acquisition is complete, Japan will be the world’s second-largest
In addition to manned assets, by reinforcing F-35 operator, after the United States,” according to a statement
unmanned defence and other capabilities, by the U.S.Trade administration.
Japan also plans to establish defence capa-
bilities where various capabilities are integrated. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) will continue to

The JSDF inventory now includes an Amphibious modify its two Izumo-class helicopter carriers (JS Izumo and JS
Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB), amphibious Kaga) into aircraft carriers capable of enabling Lockheed Martin
ships, a force of eight ballistic missile defence F-35B fighter aircraft operations (6.1 billion yen). In addition, the
(BMD)-capable Aegis destroyers with further JMSDF secured 20.2 billion yen to acquire SM-6 air-defence mis-
maritime BMD assets slated, helicopter carriers, siles for the first time to arm its two Maya-class Aegis-equipped
destroyers converted to ‘defensive’ fixed-wing destroyers.
aircraft carriers, the largest force of F-35 fighter
aircraft outside the US air force, in-flight refuel- The JMSDF also requested 5.8 billion yen to modify the Lockheed
Martin AN/SPY-7 solid-state radars (SSRs) that the government of
Japan plans to fit onto two Aegis-equipped ships set to replace
the cancelled ground-based Aegis Ashore ballistic missile defence
systems. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force will acquire a new
1,700-ton logistic support vessel as well as a new class of 350-ton
landing craft utility vessels to enhance its transportation capabilities
(10.2 billion yen).

“Major U.S. defence contractors have developed working relation-
ships over many years with domestic manufacturers for license
production of U.S. military technology and equipment in Japan.
The Japanese market’s need for interoperability of military technol-
ogy and equipment has historically strongly favoured U.S. defence
suppliers over European and other third-country suppliers. Japan
expects this trend to continue, and it encourages new-to-market
U.S. suppliers of defence products, that are seeking opportunities
to sell to Japanese defence programmes, to seek local partner-
8 | MARCH 2023 WWW.GBP.COM.SG/ADT