Japan Press Weekly

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2014 August 27 - September 2 TOP3 [POLITICS]

DefMin will request largest-ever military budget of Y5 trillion

The Ministry of Defense on August 29 decided on its budget request for the next fiscal year of 5.05 trillion yen, up 169.7 billion yen from the FY2014 initial budget.

The defense authorities have followed the path of military expansion for three consecutive years since Prime Minister Abe Shinzo took office.

The current government is giving priority to national defense while imposing heavier tax burdens on the general public by claiming a need to “secure financial resources for social welfare programs” as an excuse.

The defense budget request includes budget allocations for purchases of state-of-the-art weapons, preferential tax treatment for the arms industry, and a large increase in Self-Defense Forces personnel.

The ministry refrains from clarifying in its budget request how many Ospreys at what cost it is planning to buy as the procurement process is still underway. The same applies to amphibious vehicles, unmanned reconnaissance drones, and early-warning-and-control aircraft.

As for the construction cost for a new U.S. base in the Henoko district of Okinawa’s Nago City, the ministry gives the same cost estimate as last year in its budget request. It is highly likely that the total cost of construction will further increase after the reclamation work starts.