Julian McBride
After decades of stagnation and a state of vassalage under the United States, Japan is preparing to transform its self-defense forces into a full-fledged military to counter various threats. In 2015, under then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Tokyo discussed efforts to begin remilitarization and transform the self-defense forces into a full-fledged military—particularly due to China’s rapid force projection. In late 2022 and early 2023, Japan officially started the process of remilitarization as the Russian invasion of Ukraine changed the geopolitical landscape across the globe.
Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated in late 2022 his intentions to push Japan to meet the 2% GDP allocation for defense, similar to NATO’s standards, to meet rising threats in the Asian Pacific. Presenting a five-year strategy on reinvigorating its armed forces, Tokyo plans to allocate $320 billion towards defense, third only to the United States and China. The soon-to-be-instituted Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) will be a major flashpoint in command and control of all branches of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. Coordination in the PJHQ will allow the general officer staff to closely monitor and respond to any crisis management, such as North Korean missile launches, Russian aggression via the Pacific fleet, and Chinese threats to the Japanese islands and Taiwan.
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