Japan weighs a major increase in five-year defense spending

Politics · First reported 2 Nov, 05:13 · Updated 05:58

Image: Wikimedia Commons · Rekia1991 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Japan’s government and ruling coalition are considering raising planned defense spending for the five years from April 2027 to ¥70 trillion–¥80 trillion, about 1.8 times the current plan. The figure remains under discussion and could change as the government prepares its budget and revises security documents.

The proposed ¥70 trillion–¥80 trillion would cover the five years beginning April 2027 and compare with about ¥43 trillion in the current plan.
The spending level is not final; the government is compiling the budget toward year-end and revising three security-related documents.
A source said purchases could include large numbers of drones, while another said the proposed total might not be enough given East Asia’s security environment.

Summary written by Lux AI from 2 articles

Key facts

Proposed spending: ¥70 trillion–¥80 trillion ($457 billion–$508 billion), for five years from April 2027.
Current plan: Roughly ¥43 trillion over five years, beginning in fiscal 2023.
Status: Under consideration; the amount could change during budget preparation and revision of security documents.
Possible purchases: A source said the plan is expected to fund purchases including large numbers of drones.