Japan's New Guidelines to Call for Stronger Island Defense

Tokyo, Dec. 10 (Jiji Press)--The government's new defense policy
guidelines will stress the need to beef up the capabilities of the Air
Self-Defense Force and the Maritime SDF for the improved defense of the
Nansei chain of southwestern Japanese islands amid China's growing maritime
activities.
A draft of the guidelines, which will be adopted later this month,
says that the number of tanks held by the Ground SDF should be reduced to
some 400 units from the current 600 in order to secure more financial
resources for the defense of the southwestern islands located off Kyushu,
Japan's southernmost main island.
Through the cut in the number of tanks, about 100 billion yen in
costs can be saved, according to the draft.
Many of the tanks have been deployed in Hokkaido, the northernmost
landmass of Japan, since the Cold War era to counter a possible invasion by
the former Soviet Union.
The draft guidelines say that China's military activities are
becoming a source of concern for Asia and the rest of the world, pointing to
the country's growing moves to modernize its naval and air forces and step
up maritime activities in the East China Sea and other areas. China's
military buildup program lacks transparency, it adds.
In a shift from the current basic concept of deploying SDF troops
in a balanced manner nationwide, the draft stresses the need to establish a
system that allows the SDF to be mobilized swiftly to cope with possible
emergencies.
Under the new idea, the draft guidelines call for introducing new
jet fighters to replace existing aged F-4 fighters and increasing the number
of submarines to 22 from 16 by refurbishing old submarines.
To guard against North Korea's ballistic missile launches, the
number of Aegis destroyers should also be increased from the current four by
converting existing non-Aegis ships, according to the draft.
The draft cites the need for Japan to join international weapons
development programs at a time when advanced countries are increasingly
teaming up for such projects.
But the draft stops short of mentioning a possible review of
Japan's self-imposed ban on arms exports apparently because the
administration of Prime Minister Naoto Kan is exploring collaboration with
the opposition Social Democratic Party to help ensure smooth handling of
parliamentary business. The SDP opposes any change in the arms export ban.
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