TOKYO, Aug. 8 — Japan’s Defense Ministry plans to request a record-high budget of about 8.9 trillion yen (around 56 billion U.S. dollars) for fiscal 2027, local media reported on Friday.
The actual defense budget could rise further when finalized at the end of this year, as the request includes numerous items for which specific amounts have yet to be determined, Kyodo News reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The report also quoted a senior government official as saying that the final defense budget for fiscal 2027, which runs from April 2027 to March 2028, could reach around 10 trillion yen.
According to the report, key spending areas include deploying interceptor drones, introducing artificial intelligence (AI) into command-and-control systems, and further deploying long-range missiles with what Japan calls “counterstrike capabilities.”
The Defense Ministry plans to procure large numbers of interceptor drones, which are viewed as a cheaper alternative to surface-to-air missiles, to bolster its capability to sustain combat operations.
It also aims to build an air defense network combining high-powered laser and microwave technologies. In addition, the ministry plans to use AI to analyze vast amounts of data to help identify targets and enable faster decision-making.
Japan officially deployed the Type 25 surface-to-ship guided missile this year, which it has designated as part of its “counterstrike capabilities.”
It also intends to develop and deploy air-launched and ship-launched variants of the Type 25 missile. Japan’s current three security documents, formulated at the end of 2022, call for increasing the country’s total defense spending over the five years from fiscal 2023 through fiscal 2027 to about 43 trillion yen.
Since fiscal 2023, the country’s defense budget has hit record highs each year, raising concerns across Japanese society. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
