After decades of stagnation and a state of vassalage in the United States, Japan is preparing to transform its self-defense forces into a full army to counter various threats. In 2015, under the then Minister of the then Shinzo Abe, Tokyo discussed efforts to start religitization and transform the self -defense forces into a full army, in particular because of the rapid projection of China. At the end of 2022 and at the beginning of 2023, Japan officially started the process of reilitarization while the Russian invasion of Ukraine changed the geopolitical landscape around the world.
Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida declared at the end of 2022 his intention to push Japan to respond to the 2% GDP allocation for Defense, similar to NATO standards, to meet the growing threats of the Asian Pacific. Presenting a five-year strategy on the invigoration of its armed forces, Tokyo plans to allocate $ 320 billion in defense, only third in the United States and China. The permanent joint seat (PJHQ) which will soon be instituted will be a major flash point in command and control of all the branches of the Japanese self -defense forces. Coordination in the PJHQ will allow general officer staff to monitor and respond closely to any crisis management, such as North Korean missile launches, Russian assault via the Pacific fleet and Chinese threats to the Japanese islands and Taiwan.
Within the framework of the American written constitution for Japan, after the defeat of Japan during the Second World War, Tokyo could not have a permanent soldier; Instead, he could have a self -defense force (JSDF) with direct Washington surveillance. Japan relied on direct US military protection and JSDF surveillance for several decades. However, despite decades of dependence and stagnation in defense expenses, Japan has remained a competent force. The JSDF regularly conducts military exercises with the more than 50,000 American troops stationed throughout the Japanese archipelago and rotating forces such as the 31st marine expeditionary unit. Thinking about innovations in war, such as drones in the first person in Ukraine and the Israeli Pager attack on Hezbollah, Japan includes the need for defense -tech innovations – a priority in the Tokyo five -year remilitarization plan.
Tokyo takes several paths to fully rearm the JSDF while Japan continues to develop its strategic autonomy while maintaining close relations with the United States. At the beginning of 2024, Japan finalized its purchase of four hundred Tomahawk cruise missiles, considered today some of the best land attack missiles. The acquisition of Tomahawks includes two hundred blocks IV and 200 V blocks of missiles. In addition, logistical elements such as training and maintenance have been included in the package. Japan will adapt to its tomahawks on their eight Aegis destroyers to invigorate the Japanese navy. The cruise can be a precious deterrence and an offensive weapon in the war, in particular against China and Russia, whose fleets have engaged in hostile actions around the Japanese archipelago.
Hearing naval growth more, Tokyo has improved the JS Kaga of an aircraft carrier in a single helicopter to a light aircraft carrier. The modifications will allow the Japanese navy to place several F-35 BS on the JA Kaga, while the Ministry of Defense plans to buy forty-two of the city’s generation plane of Lockheed Martin. In addition, the Japanese Air Force will receive major improvements from the United States. At least seventy of Japan F-15 F-15s will be improved in the Super Interceptor program, including upgrades in Raytheon radars and passive warning survival systems.
Despite efforts to support conflicts abroad, the JSDF is limited in the operations it can take. For example, Japan’s bureaucratic arguments for financial support for the Gulf War arrived too late for the coalition led by the Americans, and the JSDF mainly focused on peacekeeping rather than on combat operations in Iraq. Efforts can be made so that Japanese officers and the body of non-communicated officers (non-commissioned officers) are gaining more experience alongside American counterparts in countries torn by war and unstable countries, because knowledge can be reduced to further infuse confidence in the JSDF. The Japan military base in Djibouti is a positive step towards improved partnerships for long -term operations. In addition, in economic, technological and defense spheres, Japan has developed relations with other Indo-Pacific nations, such as South Korea, Australia and Taiwan.
Japanese religitization in Indo-Pacific can be a net positive for many countries, even if Tokyo still faces obstacles on past imperial transgressions. Regarding Taiwan, the United States can have a close ally that could potentially intervene directly if China decides to invade or block the amphibious republic. Tokyo has a close diplomatic and cultural relationship with Taipei, and threats to Taiwan’s independence represent an existential crisis for Japan. Although maintaining a policy of strategic ambiguity, Japan declared in its national security strategy in 2022 in the Eurasian exam:
Taiwan is an extremely important partner and a precious friend of Japan, with whom Japan shares fundamental values. Peace and stability through the Taiwan Strait are an essential element for the safety and prosperity of the international community.
Taiwan and Japan are also part of the first island channel, representing a major defense against growing Chinese naval ambitions and expansion. If Taiwan was to fall, the Chinese Navy (Plan) would constitute a major threat to the Strait of Luzon, a large line of economic and commercial rescue of the Japanese economy, which gives Tokyo an ever greater incentive to strengthen its soldiers.
In addition, Japan increases its influence in the North Korea (RPDC). Missile launches condemned internationally by the PDR is a direct threat to Japan with South Korea and the United States, while North Korean missiles land near the Japan Sea. The links between links under mediation supported by the United States, Japan and South Korea have come to a mutual understanding by sharing information and hotlines on the warnings of North Korean missiles. At the same time, the chiefs of the JSDF and the Republic of Korea of the armed forces gathered several times under the President Biden, and recently, the foreign ministers of Seoul and Tokyo reaffirmed cooperation with the Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Such examples indicate that Japanese religitization will benefit the inhabitants of Japan against many imminent threats, and in a broader sense, the growing capacities of the JSDF will be an essential counterweight in Indo-Pacific.
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