Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has proposed the government develop “counterstrike capabilities” against enemy missile bases in a policy document.
Counter-strike targets include mobile and submarine-launched missiles and their command and control systems, Nikkei revealed, citing the national security proposal.
The proposal signals a shift in Japanese missile defense strategy that relies on the interception of enemy strikes.
Call for Change in Defense Strategy
The document underlines that as countries like China and North Korea have developed hypersonic missiles that can shift trajectory, “interceptors alone may not be enough to defend Japan.”
The proposal urges the government to re-define the policy of “minimum self defense capability” enshrined under Article 9 of the Constitution in the light of evolving realities, including technologies and geo-political situations.
The national security proposal includes nearly doubling the country’s defense budget to two percent of the country’s gross domestic product “to a level necessary to fundamentally strengthen Japan’s defensive capabilities within five years.”
Relaxation in Arms Export
The third most important aspect of the proposal is to review the national policy of not exporting arms to countries that are “party to a conflict,” particularly countries facing invasion in violation of international law.
Former defense minister and chairman of the LDP’s national security research committee, Itsunori Onodera, was quoted by Mainichi as saying, “We want our country to be able to respond to other countries’ improved capacity in various areas and to have a steady counterstrike capability under the current security environment.”
