Japan’s ruling party pushes for contentious military strike capability to counter missile threats

According to the LDP proposals, Tokyo will introduce a defence capability that will not only target missile bases but also disable the command and control systems
The draft plan, which came at a time when China and North Korea are ramping up their military activities, will be submitted this month to Prime Minister Kishida

Japan

Kyodo

Published: 11:40am, 16 Apr 2022

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A national security panel of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has proposed that Japan acquire an enemy base strike capability, in a move to counter growing missile and other security threats in the region, ruling party lawmakers said on Friday.

Whether to push for the controversial plan to possess such capability has been the key issue for a major policy review into Japan’s security by year-end, at a time when China and North Korea are ramping up their military activities.

Having such capability remains politically sensitive in Japan given its exclusively defence-oriented policy under the war-renouncing Constitution.

Under a set of draft proposals compiled by the LDP panel, Japan will introduce the enemy base strike capability that will not only target missile bases but also disable the command and control systems.

Tokyo will maintain its defence-oriented posture and limit its use of force for self-defence to a necessary minimum, specifically taking into account factors such as the international security situation at the time, according to the proposals.

The proposals were crafted as part of the government’s revision of the National Security Strategy, or the long-term guideline, and two other key documents on defence.

The LDP will finalise them next week for submission sometime this month to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who has said the government will “examine all options necessary for national defence.”

With the military build-up of North Korea and China in mind, the LDP panel has assessed it is hard to intercept ballistic missiles amid the rapid advancement of missile technology.

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The panel will also look into possibly changing the wording “enemy strike capability,” as sought by some of its members, in a way that would highlight Japan’s counter-attack as being more for self-defence.

But critics fear that doing so could expand the targets for which the capability would be used without much debate and steer away from Japan’s defence-oriented policy.

In the wake of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, the panel also proposed reviewing the current three principles on the transfer of defence equipment and technology that has set strict conditions for arms exports. It also sought for Japan to consider the export of lethal defence equipment to countries that had been invaded.

The panel also seeks in its draft proposals to use stronger wording in describing the security threats posed by Russia and China, the sources said.

North Korea has conducted a series of missile tests this year. File photo KCNA via KNS/AFP

China has been stepping up its military activities in waters near Japan, while a slew of North Korea’s ballistic missile tests from earlier this year has raised concerns over Japan’s defence capability, which is heavily reliant on its security alliance with the United States.

The proposals also state that Japan should aim to raise its defence spending to at least 2 per cent of the gross domestic product by around five years, to be on par with Nato’s 2 per cent defence spending goal.

Japan’s defence budget currently stands at around 1 per cent of the GDP.