Japan Again Reduces Defense Spending

Japan's military budget in 2012 fiscal year decrease by 0.4% (17.2 billion yen or 221 million dollars) compared to FY 2011 budget and amount to 4.64 trillion yen (59.6 billion dollars).
The project budget for defense in fiscal year 2012, approved by the Government of Japan on 24 December, its lowest level in 19 years, said, "Jane's Defence Weekly."

As expected, the military budget for 2012 fiscal year that begins on April 1, will be approved by parliament in the coming months.Request of the Ministry of Defense of Japan called for increased funding to 4.69 trillion yen, up 0.6% (28.1 billion yen) compared with last year's request, but was rejected by the Ministry of Finance.

Overall, the budget reflects the priorities set out in the published in December 2010, a 5-year development program of defense, which provides for the purchase of modern equipment, as well as the extension of the service and upgrades on some platforms to reduce costs.

The budget includes the allocation of Air Self-Defense Forces 39.5 billion yen for the purchase of four aircraft a fifth-generation F-35A «Lightning-2", and 20.5 billion yen for the two simulators and software for the F-35. An amount of 54.7 billion yen allocated Naval Self-Defense Forces for the purchase of a new submarine SS-507 class "Soryu" displacement of 2900 tons

Reduction program for the building has undergone helicopter DDH-24 (from 119 to 115.5 billion yen). DDH-24 is a second class helicopter DDH-22. Construction of the lead ship of the series was approved in 2009. NE Self-Defense Forces of Japan will be 13.2 billion yen for the purchase of 13 main battle tank "type 10".

The amount of 1 billion yen allocated for the purchase of land to accommodate the monitoring stations on the island of Yonaguni (Yonaguni) (Okinawa Prefecture), which enhance the ability of Japan to monitor the actions of China in the East China Sea.