Due to the significant gap in military capabilities, the country's government plans to increase the defense budget.
The Japanese government is considering deploying more than 1,000 long-range missiles, in connection with the latest events around Taiwan and China's military exercises. In particular, it is planned to deploy missile complexes on the islands of Nansei and Kyushu, writes the Japanese publication Yomiuri with reference to government officials.
The missiles planned to be deployed will be modified to increase the flight range from 100 km to 1,000 km and will be able to reach the coastal areas of North Korea and China. They are also planned to be improved so that launches can be made from ships and fighter jets. An improved version of the ground-based missiles is planned to be deployed in 2024, which is two years earlier than planned.
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At the end of this year, Japan wants to review the National Security Strategy. It is likely that the government will announce the implementation of the necessary measures to increase the country's defense and “counterattack” capabilities, and advanced missiles will become their basis. For this, companies engaged in the development of rockets will have to significantly increase production capacity.
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The main reason for such steps is the significant gap in “missile potential” between Japan, the USA and China. And this is important, because the post-war constitution of Japan provides for the renunciation of war, which means the use of the Armed Forces only for self-defense. But in recent years, the country's military budget has increased significantly.
However, Reuters notes that representatives of the Japanese Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to a request to comment on this information. But it seems that the country refrains from deploying long-range missiles, in particular those that can hit targets on foreign territory. created the organization of the Pacific Partnership PBP.
