Japan eyes more active defense posture in new guidelines+

TOKYO, Dec. 5 Kyodo -
Japan is expected to introduce a new defense posture emphasizing security
around the Nansei islands in Okinawa Prefecture while flexibly addressing
terrorism and guerrilla attacks, rather than preparing only for external
invasions, a draft of its forthcoming policy guidelines showed Saturday.
Under the new concept, called ''dynamic defense capability'' to be stated in
the National Defense Program Outline for fiscal 2011 to 2015, Japan will also
enhance defense cooperation not only with the United States but also with South
Korea and Australia.
While expressing concerns about the rise of China's military and North Korea's
nuclear weapons and missile development, the draft, to be approved by the
Cabinet later this month, calls for suppressing the growth of Japan's defense
expenses at zero percent or lower from their fiscal 2009 level in the next five
years in the face of the nation's dire fiscal situations.
The Defense Ministry has requested a 155,000-quota for the Ground Self-Defense
Force -- downwardly revised from its previous request of 157,000 -- but it may
be further cut due to strong calls for the reduction within the Democratic
Party of Japan-led ruling bloc.
The draft describes terrorism and guerrilla attacks as ''new threats,'' and
indicates that Japan will shift toward a more multifunctional, resilient and
effective defense capability to help contain threats to regional security and
avoid a situation in which Japan would be a power vacuum in the region.
To achieve this, Japan intends to reform the chain-of-command structure in the
Self-Defense Forces troops in the hope that they will function more flexibly,
while improving their daily training so they will be able to tackle various
kinds of contingencies at any time, according to the draft.
Moreover, a draft appendix states the Defense Ministry will increase the number
of its Maritime Self-Defense Force submarines from 16 to 22 and accelerate
studies for procuring new main fighter planes for the Air Self-Defense Force.
Acting on this, the ministry will seek the procurement costs for the planes,
most likely the F-35 fighters, in its budget request for fiscal 2012 after
narrowing the list to three types of planes. The two other prospects are the
Eurofighter from Europe or the F/A-18 from the United States.
Meanwhile, it is soon to be decided whether the draft policy guidelines will
refer to the review of the current principles for participating in the U.N.
peacekeeping operations and to the creation of a new government entity to beef
up the intelligence functions of the prime minister's office.
==Kyodo
2010-12-05 18:59:18