Japan’s defence ministry said on Thursday it will request its largest-ever annual budget, just days after nuclear-armed North Korea fired a rocket over the country in a provocation that drew global condemnation.
The ministry announced it is asking for 5.26 trillion yen (US$47.9 billion) for the fiscal year through March 2019 to beef up its missile defence.
That follows on five straight years of budgetary increases as territorial tensions with China also aggravate Japan’s security concerns.
The current proposal calls for spending on new SM-3 Block IIA interceptors – developed jointly with the US – to counter potential attacks by simultaneous missile launches, as well as a next-generation early-warning and radar system.
Adopting a land-based Aegis missile defence scheme to complement Japan’s sea-based system is also included in the multi-billion-dollar budget request.
The budget proposal also asks for money to buy a half dozen F-35 stealth fighters, a pair of frigate ships and high-tech gadgetry to protect remote southern isles in waters where China has shown its expanding naval ambitions.
The uninhabited islets in the East China Sea are administered by Japan, which calls them the Senkakus, but are also claimed by China which refers to them as the Diaoyus.
The previous year’s defence budget amount was 5.13 trillion yen, meaning the current request is for a 2.5 percent rise. (AFP)
