Japan plans to use drones, artificial intelligence and new methods of warfare as it adapts its defense strategies to suit changing times, according to details of an 8.9 trillion yen ($55.6 billion) budget request for the coming fiscal year disclosed by the Defense Ministry on Monday.
The preliminary total is only a small increase from the 8.8 trillion yen ($55 billion) defense budget requested for this fiscal year. It will be much higher eventually, but further details will come later this year after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government approves the new security and defense strategy aimed at strengthening Japan’s counterstrike capability.
Under its five-year defense strategy set in 2022, Japan has doubled its defense spending to about 2% of its gross domestic product to build up its Self-Defense Forces’ offensive role to counter China’s growing assertiveness. Beijing has criticized Japan’s defense buildup as “new militarism.”
Japan now aims to “drastically strengthen its deterrence and response capability by transforming its defense capability” by adapting to new warfare as in Ukraine’s deployment of drones, the ministry said in a pamphlet about its budget request.
Japan will use attack drones, long-range cruise missiles and interceptors
