Japan seeks record defence budget for fiscal 2025 despite concerns

Tokyo, Aug 31 (IANS) Japan's Ministry of Defense has submitted a record-breaking defence budget request of 8.54 trillion yen (about US$59 billion) for the fiscal year of 2025.

The request on Friday marked the first time the country's defence budget request has surpassed the 8-trillion-yen mark, reflecting the government's intensified focus on enhancing its military capabilities, Xinhua news agency reported.

The defence budget for the fiscal period that begins in April places significant emphasis on boosting Japan's so-called "counterattack capabilities."

The defence ministry plans to allocate 970 billion yen to enhance Japan's long-range defence capabilities, which include the deployment and mass production of various long-range missiles.

An additional 323.2 billion yen would be set aside for the development of a satellite constellation system that aims to deploy multiple small satellites capable of detecting and tracking warships, vessels, and missiles, local media reports suggest.

Furthermore, 3 billion yen would be invested in deploying self-destruct drones for Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force.

The proposed expansion of Japan's military capabilities has raised concerns domestically and internationally. Japan's push to develop the capability to strike enemy bases marks a departure from its post-war pacifist constitution, which adheres to an "exclusively defence-oriented policy," reports Xinhua news agency, quoting Japanese newspaper Tokyo Shimbun.

Such a shift is seen as potentially sparking an arms race in the region, which could destabilize the regional security landscape, the report added.

At the end of 2022, the Fumio Kishida government, despite widespread opposition, forcefully updated three security and defence-related documents, including the National Security Strategy.

The government also plans to allot about 43 trillion yen to defence outlays from fiscal 2023 through 2027, nearly 1.6 times the amount over the previous five-year period. ($1 equals 146.21 Japanese yen).

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