Record defense budget includes funds to buy U.S. Tomahawks

The record defense budget for fiscal 2023 will include 211.3 billion yen ($1.6 billion) to buy U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles for Japan’s new “capability” to strike enemy bases that are preparing to attack, sources said.

The missiles have a range of about 1,000 kilometers and can be launched from outside the range of enemy missiles.

The Tomahawk missiles will be used until Japan upgrades and extends the range of its domestically developed missile.

The expected defense budget of about 6.8 trillion yen is the largest ever for a single fiscal year. It is also a record 1.4 trillion yen, or about 1.25 times, greater than the initial defense spending figure for fiscal 2022.

The figures are according to several government and ruling coalition sources.

The amount being sought is for the first year of a five-year defense buildup that will total about 43 trillion yen.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet last week approved national security documents that call for the new strike capability, which will be included in the integrated air and missile defense system.

To improve that system, the defense budget will also include 220.8 billion yen for the early construction of two vessels equipped with the land-based Aegis system capable of intercepting enemy ballistic missiles, the sources said.

The defense budget also sets aside 6.9 billion yen for multipurpose or attack drones as well as 8.1 billion yen for unmanned surveillance vehicles, they said.

If the Defense Ministry does purchase attack drones, it would be a first for the Self-Defense Forces.

About 40 billion yen will be earmarked for a newly established fund to promote export of defense equipment.

The Defense Capability Enhancement Plan approved by the Kishida Cabinet on Dec. 16 said export of defense equipment would be a “strategic means for diplomatic and defense policy to restrain any attempt by other nations to change the status quo by constructing effective cooperation with allies and like-minded nations.”