Page 5 - Term Defense Program News Today

The government is working on major revisions to three key national security policy documents including the National Security Strategy (NSS), which could radically change Japans highly restrictive and exclusively defensive postwar security policy.

Commentary It seems like there is a sea change in Tokyo's lackadaisical, "overly reliant on the Americans" approach ...

Still missing in action is a well-considered plan based on a proper threat assessment, that lays out what Japan needs, and needs to do to defend itself.

Japan has broken last year’s record for its requested defense budget as security concerns mount in Tokyo.

The new ships are supposed to be both more capable and more automated than current vessels.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is pursuing more compact ships to counter China and Russia in the East China Sea and broader Indo-Pacific.

The Kishida administration should maintain a calculated, long-term approach to increasing Japan’s defense budget.

During his upcoming trip to South Korea and Japan, President Joe Biden should affirm the U.S. commitment to defending our allies against increasing Chinese and North Korean military threats. China is the preeminent global security threat, and enhancing both alliances are critical to augmenting Washington’s ability to counter threats to U.S. strategic interests. Biden should also urge Seoul and Tokyo to assume larger regional security roles.

Russia’s second invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, was a brutal reminder of the potential for authoritarian countries to attack smaller countries on their periphery. Moscow’s assault should also be a catalyst for enhancing deterrence against Chinese expansionism in the Indo–Pacific region.

While a push by Abe to dispel taboos over nuclear weapons is unlikely to come to fruition, he may have laid the foundation for a change to Japan’s defense-oriented security strategy.