Japan to buy US-made Tomahawk missiles

Tokyo: Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday said his country would buy 400 US Tomahawk missiles as part of his country's revised security policy.

Kishida's government aims to beef up Japan's defence capacity as China flexes its military muscle and nuclear-armed North Korea stages unpredictable missile tests.

Purchase as part of a wider expansion
Kishida told a parliamentary budget committee that "our country's plan" is to acquire "400 units" of the cruise missile without elaborating, citing the military sensitivity of the deal.

Japan has set aside 211.3 billion yen ($1.55 billion or €1.47 billion) to buy the missiles in the next fiscal year.

The Tomahawk cruise missiles are currently only in the arsenals of the US and Britain. The weapon launches from ships and submarines and can strike targets precisely from 1,000 miles away (some 1,600 kilometres), even in heavily defended airspace.

Japan is also planning to develop for the first time a "counter-strike" capability — which would give it the ability to launch sites.

Overall, the government plans to spend about $37 billion over five years on long-range missiles, the planned deployment of which will begin in 2026.

What is the broader security context?
Japan has said it will hike up defense spending by almost a quarter in 2023 to a record $51.7 billion for the financial year starting April 1.

Tokyo hopes to more than triple spending on munitions it believes are needed to deter regional rivals China and North Korea, with Russia's attack on Ukraine spurring regional tensions.

Japan is also set to boost spending on cyber warfare capabilities, drones ballistic missile defences, warships, and transport aircraft, as well as reconnaissance and communications satellites.

.When it comes to air power, the government plans to acquire 16 Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 stealth fighters for some $37 billion, half of which will be "jump jets," known for their vertical take off and landings. They are to be deployed on aircraft carriers.

Rising sense of trepidation
The unprecedented level of spending is a reflection of Japanese fears about the possible invasion of neighbouring Taiwan by China, heightened by Russia's war in Ukraine.

Tokyo fears such a development could threaten Japanese islands and give Beijing a potential stranglehold on sea routes vital for the supply of oil from the Middle East.

North Korea has added to regional insecurity by repeatedly conducting provocative weapons tests, including with missiles that landed in Japanese waters.

Japan is also locked in a decades-old dispute with Russia over a chain of Pacific islands known as the Kuril Islands by Russia and in Japan as the Northern Territories.

The Russian military maintains a presence on the islands, which have a population of some 20,000.

Japan has joined other allies in imposing sanctions on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.

The US and Japan plan to boost military and security cooperation after their top national security officials held talks in January.

Japan has also signed a defensive agreement with the Philippines to strengthen military collaboration between the two island nations.