Japan Changing perceptions on defence

Contributing Editor Vice Admiral (Retd) IQBAL F QUADIR analyses Japan’s re-assessment of its security  needs.

Japanese are beginning to feel, and come out stating, that their country must improve its defence capabilities to keep pace with the latest technical innovations and changing circumstances at home and abroad so that the country is never caught off guard.

This changing perception is now clearly visible amongst an important group of political parties in the Japanese Diet. The press too has lately come out in support of keeping the nation’s military preparedness abreast of the on-going information technology revolution, while also enhancing its ability to combat various attacks by foreign guerrillas and commandos.

It is felt that rapid progress in the IT revolution and the resulting spread of technical know-how Ñ is a threat particularly from the guerillas and commandos. However, carefully avoided, while referring to the growing military capability of Japan’s close neighbours.

The five-year defence programme recently approved by the Japanese cabinet is an effort to meet these rising challenges. It commences with fiscal year 2001 starting on 1st April. The programme is further designed to ensure that the Japan-US security framework is kept intact. The government, it appears has been very sensitive to calls in USA for Japan to end its self-imposed restrictions on defence in order to shore up the bilateral military alliance between the two countries.

The press too is urging the government not to confine itself to simply improving the Self-Defence Forces’ capability. It is calling for an all-out endeavour to ensure that the Japan-US security framework is kept in place.

The new defence policy is likely to encourage a serious debate in Japan on how to defend the nation’s peace and security at the dawn of the 21st century. After all, it is an effort to protect the lives and assets of the people that constitute part and parcel of national politics. Strengthening the ability of the Self-Defence Forces to deal with natural disasters is another important element in the newly planned build up of forces.

Undoubtedly, the upgrading the SDF’s military hardware is essential. However, the government is striving to keep down expenses on weapons and other military equipment. As such, the government has decided to maintain defence spending in the next five-year build up plan at the current level.

Given the stringent financial conditions, overall spending ceiling for the programme comes to 25.16 trillion yen, about the same level as the original amount requested for the earlier 1996-2000 plans. The average annual increase in defence spending in fact comes to 0.7 percent only.

Of the total, 25.01 trillion yen will be available for budget requests during the five-year period. The remaining 150 billion yen will be used for emergencies, such as natural disasters, with the approval of the Security Council of Japan. A total of 4 trillion yen is being set aside for new weapons, such as tanks and escort vessels.

The Maritime Self-Defence Force will get two 13,500 ton escort ships capable of having up to three helicopters simultaneously. They will replace the 5,000 to ships that are in the process of being decommissioned.

The Ground Self-Defence Force will develop a smaller, lighter tank. Research will also begin on development of newer transport planes and anti-submarine patrol aircraft.

The defence build up programme includes a plan to introduce four refuelling aircraft, which the SDF has long coveted for its major weapons systems for combat.

Efforts will also be made to set up a system to deal with possible cyber-terrorists seeking to hack their way into the Defence Agency’s computer system as well as strengthening an information system to link central headquarters with regional forces.

At the same time, dozens of House of Representatives members from the Liberal Democratic Party have established a league seeking to upgrade the Defence Agency to an independent ministry. They believe that the Defence Agency’s status being the administrative organ charged with ensuring the nation’s security; the agency should be transformed into an independent organ.

Currently, the Defence Agency is an organ under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister’s Office, although very few outside Japan appreciate that the Agency’s chief is a member of the cabinet. Japan may be the only nation in the world where an administrative organ responsible for the protection of citizens’ lives and assets has been given lower status than other central government organs.

In early January, the government, which presently consists of the Prime Minister’s office, 22 ministries and agencies, will be transformed into a cabinet office and 12 ministries and agencies. Many parliamentarians feel that status of the Defence Agency should have been raised to that of a ministry under the new organizational framework of government.

Japan’s changing defence perceptions and plans to acquire ships and aircraft that would permit its SDF greatly extended area of operations far away from its coast, are being closely watched by all its neighbours. Efforts by parliamentarians at giving a ministerial status to the head of the Self-Defence Forces are bound to spell further speculations.

The real question would, however, be ‘For how long can Japan keep itself immune from the effects of the changing environment around it? Technologically, it has the ability to be able to counter a threat of mass destruction and to similarly use space for the purposes of its defence.