Japan Defense Min. to Set Budget Request at Record 5.29 T. Yen

August 22, 2018

Tokyo- Japan's Defense Ministry plans to set its budget request at a record 5,298.6 billion yen in fiscal 2019 from next April, informed sources said Wednesday.

The requested amount will represent an increase for the seventh straight year. Compared with the fiscal 2018 initial budget level, the figure is up 2 pct.

The growth will reflect costs to introduce the Aegis Ashore land-based missile defense system in Akita Prefecture, northeastern Japan, and Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan.

A formal decision on the budget request will be made at the end of this month.

The ministry's initial budget stood at a record high of 5,191.1 billion yen in fiscal 2018, staying consistently on the growth track since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came back to office in 2012.

In fiscal 2019, the defense budget looks certain to rewrite its record high on an initial budget basis, the sources said.

The ministry aims to strengthen its defense capabilities against ballistic missiles, seeing no change in North Korea missile threat amid uncertainties over Pyongyang's denuclearization.

The ministry will request 230 billion yen to procure two Aegis Ashore batteries. The ministry will earmark over 90 billion yen to purchase six F-35A stealth fighters in fiscal 2019 as part of its plan to procure a total of 42 units. Jiji Press