Japan to hike mid-term defense spending by 5%

South Korea and China whining in 3...2...1...

Japan can no longer tolerate China's tyranny. (They are so high-handed).

Someone needs to help the Japanese do the maths on the F-35. It's almost $200M USD per plane. All the Chinese need is one more plane than the F-35 has missiles. Given the Chinese can pump out planes for less than 1/10 the cost, that's not much of a problem.

$25 trillion Yen in weapons... This is really sad.

So are the Japanese citizens who whined about the Osprey being unsafe when the Yanks were flying it going to march on Tokyo and demand it removed?

Not in Tokyo. But in Okinawa. What is your point?

I could truly think of better ways to spend all that money. Sad indeed!

Good for them.

A nation can only be pushed so far.

So, Japan shouldn't be able to defend itself? I see none of you complaining over the US spending trillions on black programs, CIA prisons, wire-tapping its own citizens, etc.

Now we can see clearly the second key reason for the neo-national rhetoric. First was to create sentiment in the population through fear-mongering, which brought the "strong on defence" right-wing Abe and the LDP to power, and now this power is used to transfer tax-payer money to wealthy defence industry corporations, who help fund the LDP.

That budget is the price for US support

So now we know where the sales tax increase money is going.

spend spend spend

Or perhaps some would support 25T¥ in tribute money via electronic wire transfer to the People's Bank of China?

F-35s, Ospreys, Global Hawks and Aegis Cruisers. Those are some pretty good choices. The F-35 will go very well with Japan's pre-existing F-15Js. Those F-15s outclass everything China has as it is, the F-35s will add some muscle to the defence of Japan. Seriously, the best China can bring to the table are its drones and the Su30s, neither of which are all that impressive. The Su30 is a little bit dated these days. It's a fourth generation fighter, unlike the fifth generation F-35, which has superior performance specifications. This increase in defence spending is a good thing. It'll weaken China's advantage of superior numbers. Japan may be smaller, but it's Air Force and Navy are vastly superior. Once the Cabinet approves the increase (and they ought to really), China should just give up its provocative actions and recind the air zone. Emphasis on should. That move would be too smart for China sadly.

We only know about the F-35. But with the secret bill there are things that we will not know

The Japanese cant afford to match the military spending and might of present day China. Russia tried to match America's military might and went bankrupt in the process (fall of the Soviet Union).

If Japan starts increasing military spending, and if their debt loads expand even faster, the yields on their bonds will skyrocket and they will be facing default, or heaving printing and the devestating effects of high inflation.

Japan cant win. They should try to negotiate and co-develop the fields with the Chinese. If that fails, make a formal complaint to whomever is willing to help, use that as future collateral, and move onward. Focus on reducing goverment spending, grow the economy through private investment, and make yourselves strong once again.

Military spending and war doesnt produce prosperity. If it did, North Korea would be the place to live. Even America is heading toward bankruptcy because of their love of military budgets and the wars they produce.

Good job Abe-san. It's about time that Japan recognized that it needs the ability to defend itself with minimal outside assistance. The reality is that Japan is in a very dangerous part of the world- surrounded by countries with nuclear weapons. Russia, China, N Korea, all have nukes. S Korea can probably build them in a long weekend too. Japan needs a military that is in proportio with its economic standing.

This is a very expensive plane the Russians and Chinese have already developed systems to counter it effectively to be on sale within 2 years.

http://defence.pk/threads/russian-co...vantage.19845/

http://www.f-16.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18922

One major selling point the stealth capability has already been nullified by Russian system at a fraction of the cost of one platform. Also.several.new missles.with long standoff has already been developed against it. Once we pay billions for F35 our adversaries can just spend one hundred million on these counter systems and eliminate any advantage. The F35 itself has numerous flaws and its effectiveness is questionable

. http://snafu-solomon.blogspot.sg/201...ready.html?m=1

Well, I've been harping on this defense hike. 5% is nothing, won't buy you a new set of pants for anyone. But its a start. They are about 70% short to be somewhat significant. 5% is more like a reflection on the rise of the Dollar vs. Yen then a true spending hike since most of the weaponry are paid in dollars.

I will give Abe 5% credit for increasing defense spending. He is however, 70% short on goal.

japan need to bring +++++ shin shin 5 th geration stealth fighter jet buying F=35 is good for new japanese detroyer pne more thing is build another jet fither destroyer above all =======put in senkau island area for defese remember #2 minitry power behind + u.s japanes can handle it = no problema folks > just mouse and car games on haaaaaaaaaaaaa

Chinese Military Ship Confronts U.S. Cruiser at Sea.

‘Getting Dangerous’

After a second Chinese ship sailed in front of the Cowpens and stopped, the U.S. vessel was forced to change course to avoid a collision, the Free Beacon said.

“It’s getting dangerous out there,” said Patrick Cronin, a senior adviser for the Asia-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security in Washington. “Accidents happen. People can get killed out there through these maneuvers. We need more efforts at ways to tamp down or avert crises as they arise.”

Cronin said the incident appeared to be a “tit-for-tat” response to the U.S. refusing to recognize China’s new air defense zone.

“We’re making them look impotent with respect to the ADIZ,” Cronin said, referring to the acronym for air defense identification zone.

By trying to block a U.S. ship, China is engaging in “coercive diplomacy -- it’s neither war nor peace,” he said.

Just a reminder; Japanese military already far exceeds it constitutional limits, in that it is required that we not have a military sufficient to allow belligerence to be used as a diplomatic tactic. Seriously, we may want a bigger military; we may evern want to go to war, but we also need to respect the law that was approved by a supermajority of our forefathers. Yes, we can change it, legally. Right now, Japan is becoming further militaristic, without any legal basis, and the principle of law is at stake, as is Japan's honour.

CHAPTER II. RENUNCIATION OF WAR 第九条　日本国民は、正義と秩序を基調とする国際平和を誠実に希求し、国権の発動たる戦争と、武力による威嚇又は武力の行使は、国際紛争を解決する手段としては、永久にこれを放棄する。 Article 9.　Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. 前項の目的を達するため、陸海空軍その他の戦力は、これを保持しない。国の交戦権は、これを認めない。 In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized. 第三章　国民の権利及び義務

It was obvious a year ago that Japan would buy Ospreys. The JSDF has been training with USMC MV-22s all year. F-35s are grat but I'd like to see those JMSDF min-carriers load F35-Bs. For those who are shouting that 5% isn't going to do anything vis-à-vis China, let's not forget that Japan's ability to protect itself from China is Japan + US military capability. And in a real war it will be Japan plus the rest of the world confronting China.

jeff198527Dec. 14, 2013 - 07:25AM JST South Korea and China whining in 3...2...1...

No, South Korea is not a strategic threat to Japan and the US as China is. SKorea is a US ally and their military increases are with China and NKorea in mind.

It is nothing but the same old game which has been played out for thousands of years. The best way to control the people of any particular country is to make them fear the countries that surround them. There are countless names in history who have used this tactic as a tool to expand their personal power.

The Chinese are playing this game to strengthen the role of their national government, and to take people's mind off dissent. By making the Chinese citizens hate Japan (a popular pastime), they have less hate to direct toward their own leaders, or against the numerous other problems China has.

Of course Japan, and by extension, America, have to react to these threats. By increasing the size and strength of their military presence. This can lead to an arms race like that between America and the Soviet Union.

This is a slippery slope, not to mention very expensive in the long run. And it also increases the odds of conflicts, confrontations, and worse. China is not thinking very clearly about the potential consequences of their actions. But it appears they fear losing their political authority more than they fear getting into a fight with their neighbors.

The Japanese cant afford to match the military spending and might of present day China. Russia tried to match America's military might and went bankrupt in the process (fall of the Soviet Union).

It's also what is bring the US to bankruptcy. Just took a bit longer.

India's air force chief said on Friday that China's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) is not a threat to India.

Talking to the press in Shillong in northeast India, Indian Air Force chief N.A.K. Browne said the ADIZ is "an issue between China and Japan", according to Indo-Asian News Service.

"Because this is an issue between China and Japan, why must we get involved?" he said.

China established its East China Sea ADIZ on Nov. 23. Yet Japan, in disregard of common sense and international practice, has since launched a vehement attempt to misinterpret and vilify the Chinese move.

$25 trillion Yen in weapons... This is really sad.

Japan only spends ~1% of GDP on its military, and the Japanese people voted for a government that they wouldn't be adverse to some rises in the military budget. Spare us the moralizing.

Yet Japan, in disregard of common sense and international practice, has since launched a vehement attempt to misinterpret and vilify the Chinese move.

The Chinese are well known at this point for using the 'death by a thousand cuts' method. The ADIZ is an obvious attempt to claim defacto sovereignty over the Senkakus. Small moves like these are all too easy to ignore until one day China claims half the Pacific and every Asian nation in its vicinity is a neo-vassal state. With a name like J.basher though, I suspect you have an agenda with that post.

Japan has a great defensive capability. 6 aegis ships can easily blow any aircraft fleet that gets close to japan. The new carriers are intended to defend the aegis ships. And. Oh well. Japanese destroyers fleet is better than pla fleet

Japan needs to reform its constitution and raise it another 10%. Just today a Chinese ship tired to ram a USN ship in international water. Only a fool could be blind to the direct threat that China poses for the US, Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese, Australian, Philippines, New Zealand. Sadly, if one had to use context, China is acting very similar to Japan in 1925. We have about 5 years.

Just today a Chinese ship tired to ram a USN ship in international water,

Ramming and blocking are different.

Eh! did you read the date on the new, it was stated December 5th 2013, today is December 14 2013, do they have a time machine, back to the future.... :)

That's just a drop in the bucket. They should consider doubling their defense spending. Also look to involve other countries to cooperate on future weapons systems like they have with the UK. Then increase military exports to shore up the domestic defense economy. Better late than sorry.

Looks like all the liberals are coming out of the woodwork. Preaching peace with a country that is totalitarian oligarchy is insanity at worst and a pipe dream at best.

Ships will be built by japan. Aegis system Will be bought from US. Missiles will be built mistubishi. F35 will be made in japan.

The F-35 is way over-rated. It can not carry half of the weapons that a Harrier can carry and for what they cast is overpriced when the short take-oof/landing F-15 can do 3 times better at less the price.

Just because an ally says YOU need this does not mean it is BEST for you.

@motytrah You wrote at Dec. 14, 2013 - 08:12AM JST Someone needs to help the Japanese do the maths on the F-35. It's almost $200M USD per plane. All the Chinese need is one more plane than the F-35 has missiles. Given the Chinese can pump out planes for less than 1/10 the cost, that's not much of a problem."

Its not a matter of Japan doing the math its not about quantity its a out quality. If you know anything about advance weapons you wouldn't have made such an insane statement "the Chinese can pump out planes for less than 1/10 the cost" LMAO its just like every thing else that country makes. Their motto is to make it to break it. No quality knock off brands from baby foods to dog food. You have no clue what it takes to design build manufacture and test these sophisticated systems. I Do, so if china can pump out that planes that fast thats great but lets see how long they last in real combat situations. Know before you speak

I am surprised that no new submarine was in the making for the JMSDF. With Japan's advanced sub tech and underwater listening devices, the Chinese naval forces will have little chance of getting into the blue waters to fight a naval battle.

@Bear27840 Japan already has F-15's: the Mitsubishi F-15J, Japan's equivalent of the F-15 Eagle. The F-35's might not have the same payload as the obsolete Harriers, but a huge payload is unnecessary. It only takes one AAM to blow up a jet. The F-35 is about manoeuvrability, something it has in leaps and spades. It is likely that Japan will get the F-35B variant, which has short take-off and vertical landing, and possibly the C variant as well, for Carriers. The F-35 is basically a replacement for the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the F-18 Hornet (but not the E/F Super Hornet variants) and the AV8-B Harriers. The F-35 has durable, low maintenance stealth technology, intergrated avionics and sensor fusion, high speed data networking, and Electrohydrostatic actuators run by a power-by-wire flight-control system. Lockheed Martin also suggests that the F-35 could match or replace the F-15 series in the air superiority and ground attack roles, but that remains to be seen as yet.

All information relating to the F-35 was sourced from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-35_Lightning_II

Where will the money come from? They have already spent the income from the increased consumption tax several times over. The government should be cutting spending, not increasing it.