New record for defense budget of Japan with $46 billion.

On 22 December 2017, Japan has released details of its defense budget for 2018 that will reached a total of $46 billion. The defense spending is part of Japan's $860 billion national budget for 2018, that is a record for the defense budget of Japan to over 5% of the entire $860 billion of Japanese national budget for 2018.

 
Japanese Defense Forces soldiers from the 22nd Infantry Regiment train with U.S. Army soldiers in a bilateral exercise at Fort Lewis' Leschi Town (Picture source Wikiwand )

In the defense plan 2018 , Japan would acquire one RQ-4B Global Hawk UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) in order to enhance persistent wide-area surveillance capability and to ensure security of seas and airspace surrounding Japan.

Face to the missile treats of North Korea, Japan will invest to new air defense missile system including the Type-03 medium-range surface-to-air defense systems enhancing capability to respond to low-altitude and high-speed targets in order to strengthen air defense capability in operational regions, including the southwestern region.

Another acquisition in the field of air defense is the Type-11, a short-range surface-to-air missile, which is capable of responding to various airborne threats , in order to strengthen the capability to provide air defense for rapid deployment units.

For The land forces, Japan will purchase 16 Type-16 armoured vehicle also Maneuver Combat Vehicle (MCV) which is an anti-tank 8x8 combat vehicle armed with a 105mm gun.

To response to the CBRN threats , Japanese army will acquire new 8x8 new NBC reconnaissance vehicle and various decontamination equipment to enhance various decontamination capabilities in order to minimize the spread of damage and secondary damage by quickly responding to the large-scale contamination of personnel and equipment in the vent of nuclear, biological and chemical attacks.

Japan would like also to increase communication for the land forces with new Type-16 mobile combat vehicle based on a 6x6 military truck chassis. In terms of individual combat gear equipment, the defense spending also includes the acquisition of 1,500 Type-89 assault rifles and anti-personnel sniper rifles.

In effort to response to large-scale disasters and to deploy engineer troops, Japan will acquire Type 17 mobility support bridge, tracked materiel transport vehicle very efficient in case of earthquake, water purification set and Type 10 tracked snow tractors.