Japan wants to double its Defense effort and transform its defensive doctrine

Like most of the countries of the Asian Pacific Ocean belt, Japan has, in recent years, significantly increased its defense effort, with an increase of 2,6% for 2022 and a budget which, for the first time, exceeded $50 billion. However, for the Liberal Democratic Party currently in power, the account is not there, in particular taking into account the lessons related to the war in Ukraine. And the latter to propose, in a document sent to the Japanese government, a proposal to increase the Japanese defense budget to 2% of the country's GDP, against only 1% today, and this quickly, in order to to be able to deal with a scenario comparable to that in which Ukraine and Europe find themselves today as soon as possible.

It must be said that between the rapid rise in power of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), and the Beijing's increasingly assertive posture towards its neighbors, there are obviously many parallels with the trajectory followed in recent years by Putin's power in Russia. As such, Tokyo has undertaken since 2016 a vast effort to modernize and strengthen its land, air and naval armed forces, with for example the construction of a fleet of 19 conventionally powered but ocean-capable submarines of the Soryu and Taïgei classesOf 22 modern Mogami-class frigates to escort the two aircraft carriers modified to receive Izumo-class F-35Bs alongside the 8 Aegis heavy destroyers, but also by commanding 138 F-35 A/B and modernization of 68 F-15Js to the US defense industry. At the same time, Japanese industry is engaged in several high-tech programs to develop a next-generation fighter within the FX program, hypersonic missiles of the HVPG program, or even directed energy weapons like a Railgun and microwave cannon.

The proposals made by the authorities of the Liberal Democratic Party were also most likely inspired by the radical change in Germany's posture following the Russian attack in Ukraine, with the announcement made by Olaf Stoltz of an investment envelope of €100 billion immediately available to fill the most urgent shortcomings in German defence, and the rapid increase in Berlin's defense effort beyond 2% of its own GDP to respond to the new security challenges posed by Moscow in Europe. Like Berlin, Tokyo had a defense policy and a binding constitution inherited from the end of the Second World War, and Japanese public opinion remained very attached to this posture limited to self-defense alone imposed by its constitution drafted by the forces. of American occupation after the capitulation, especially since during the Cold War, the Pacific theater was of less intensity than the European or Middle Eastern theaters.

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