Japan on Thursday formally signed its contract to acquire 400 US Tomahawk cruise missiles, one of the emblematic measures of the drastic increase in its defense capabilities that the country plans to adapt to rising geopolitical tensions in the Asia-Pacific.
This sale was approved by Washington last November, for a maximum amount of 2.35 billion dollars. The contract signed Thursday is worth $1.8 billion for the missiles and associated equipment. Delivery of these missiles should begin in 2025-2026, a Japanese Defense Ministry official told reporters on Thursday.
“Defense” budget at 2% of GDP by 2027
Faced with China’s growing regional ambitions, the constant threat from North Korea and its geographical proximity to Russia, Japan plans to increase its defense budget to 2% of GDP by 2027, while previously limiting its military spending to around 1%. of the national GDP.
In its new national security doctrine adopted at the end of 2022, Japan introduced a “counter-strike” principle, to give itself the ability to attack military targets in neighboring countries that present a direct threat, for deterrence purposes.
This principle is not obvious to Japan, whose pacifist Constitution in force since 1947 postulates that it renounces war “forever.” Currently, the Japanese archipelago depends closely on the United States and the American nuclear umbrella to ensure its security.
Therefore, Tokyo is seeking to equip itself with longer-range missiles than those it currently has. This concerns, in particular, the acquisition of American Tomahawks (with a range of 1,600 km), but also the development of new Japanese missiles.
Source: BFM TV
