Japan's defense spending is expected to set a new record next year as the country deepens its military alliance with the U.S. and buys expensive American weapons, mariyamaguchi writes.
FILE - In this May 21, 2019, file photo, an F-35B aircraft lands at Akrotiri Royal air forces base near coastal city of Limassol, Cyprus. Japan’s defense spending is expected to set a new record next year as the country strengthens its military alliance with the U.S. and buys expensive American weapons amid threats from China and North Korea. Among the biggest purchases are six F-35B stealth fighters at 14 billion yen each for deployment in 2024.
Japan’s military spending has risen for seven consecutive years by a total of 13%, starting a year after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office in December 2012. In 2018 it ranked 8th or 9th in the world in total defense spending, depending on calculation method. To accommodate the F-35Bs, the Defense Ministry will reconfigure the Izumo, one of two destroyers currently serving as helicopter carriers, beginning later this year with a heat-resistant flight deck and guiding lights at a cost of 3.1 billion yen .
China’s growing military presence and capability as it strengthens its claims across the South China Sea have unnerved many in the region.
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