Korean media: Japan invests 1 billion yen to secure drones

¬ Begins revising the "security documents" including increased defense spending, and deploys missiles with a range of 1,000 kilometers next month

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) held a security research meeting on the 2nd, starting discussions on the revision of the "three major security documents" that include Japan's comprehensive national security strategy. This reflects Prime Minister Takahashi Sanae's desire to adapt to the rapidly changing international situation, establish a system to cope with modern warfare, and counter China in the Pacific region.

The LDP's plan aims first to increase current defense spending to 2% of the gross domestic product (GDP) by 2027. The Japanese government is currently advancing the "2026 fiscal year budget bill" in the Diet, setting defense spending at 935.3 billion yen, an increase of 3.8% (approximately 334.8 billion yen) compared to the previous year, with significant investment in securing advanced weapon systems.

In particular, Japan has proposed a plan to spend 1 billion yen (about 10 trillion won) to secure several thousand drones. The plan involves equipping 10 types of drones across all land, sea, and air domains, and building a defense network called "SHIELD" connected to unmanned ships by 2027. Through drone reconnaissance, it will prevent enemy forces from landing on the mainland and have the capability to attack when necessary. Takahashi previously stated, "New forms of warfare emerged in the Ukraine war. We need to incorporate a defense system that enhances combat sustainability using large numbers of drones and artificial intelligence into the three major security documents."

Japan also plans to deploy "long-range missiles" capable of attacking enemy missile launchers starting from Kyushu's Kumamoto in the coming month, and by 2027, at least three bases. This marks the first time Japan will deploy long-range missiles with a range of about 1,000 kilometers for the purpose of retaliation. High-speed and hypersonic weapons are also in the deployment phase. Japan completed a test launch of a high-speed glide bomb for island defense in August last year and started operational procedures in Shizuoka. It also plans to deploy them at locations in Hokkaido and Miyazaki this year. In addition, Japan will renovate ports and runways used for the deployment of ships and fighter jets, as well as radar networks for detecting enemy missiles. To respond to cyberattacks and information warfare, Japan plans to establish a National Intelligence Agency.

Recently, Takahashi Sanae appointed loyalists of the constitutional amendment faction to three key positions responsible for pushing forward the constitutional amendment. The position of House of Representatives Speaker was given to Mori Hideo, who previously served as the chairman of the House of Representatives' Constitutional Review Committee and head of the party's Constitutional Amendment Promotion Headquarters. Additionally, Takahashi appointed Furuya Keiji, who served as the head of the LDP's "Constitutional Amendment Implementation Headquarters" for four years since 2021, as the next chairman of the Constitutional Review Committee. For the position of chief secretary of the ruling party responsible for coordinating the operations of the Constitutional Review Committee with the opposition, she reappointed Shinto Yoshihisa, who advocated for holding the Constitutional Review Committee meetings every week. The Yomiuri Shimbun analyzed that this is "a system thoroughly aimed at amending the constitution." There is an opinion in the Japanese political arena that Takahashi Sanae will push for amending the constitution to explicitly state the existence of the Self-Defense Forces in Article 9.

Source: Chosun Ilbo

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1858849244805132/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.