Japan wants to increase its defense budget to a record level by 2025

Today (December 25), the Japanese government completed a record draft budget report with a plan to spend about 115.5 trillion yen (732 billion USD) for fiscal year 2025, in which the defense budget exceeded 8,000 billion yen for the first time.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries delivered the Mogami-class multi-mission frigate to the Japan Coast Guard on December 19 in Nagasaki.

Photo: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Nippon.com reported that the draft budget for fiscal 2025 in Japan, starting April 1, 2025, is expected to increase to 115.5 trillion yen.

Under the new draft, the budget for social security and defense will both increase to record levels.

Specifically, social security spending will reach more than 38,000 billion yen (241 billion USD). Meanwhile, the defense budget is expected to increase to 8,500 billion yen (54 billion USD), the highest in the country's history. The proposed amount is 10% higher than last year's record budget of 7,700 billion yen and marks the first time it has exceeded the 8,000 billion yen mark.

What weapons does Japan want with its record defense budget proposal?

The draft budget is based on a proposal by Japan's Defense Ministry in August, which calls for buying more small attack drones and starting mass production of long-range missiles, integrating small satellite networks, and building counter-strike capabilities.

The ministry also proposed 970 billion yen for long-range weapons, including 17 billion yen for an improved long-range version of the Type-12 missile and 3 billion yen for a submarine-launched guided missile. Both weapons are expected to be mass-produced in the next fiscal year.

More than 35 billion yen will be allocated for a program to expand the production of hypersonic missiles, while 316 billion yen will be allocated for developing high-speed glide weapons, capabilities that will allow Japan to attack bases and targets from a distance. Japan also plans to build three more Mogami-class multi-mission frigates.

The country's cabinet is expected to approve the draft budget at its meeting on December 27.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhat-ban-muon-tang-ngan-sach-quoc-phong-len-muc-ky-luc-nam-2025-1852412251455031.htm