As a country where the Constitution does not allow the organization of an army
the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) remain one of the best equipped in the region
Article 9 of Japan's Constitution states:
"Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order"
the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes
In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained
The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized
However, a part of the Constitution was added, that the country could build and maintain its inherent right to self-defense
Thus, with the security treaty that Japan signed with the United States in 1951
it allows Japan to maintain a garrison in response to external aggression, as well as internal threats and natural disasters
It started with the National Police Reserve, formed in 1950, consisting of 75,000 men armed with light weapons
then the Coastal Security Force was born two years later
This force was later renamed the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) and the Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) on July 1, 1954
while the third force - the Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) was also established on this date
Japan's shift in defense policy is driven in part by China's rapid military modernization
Chinese coast guard ships regularly appear in the disputed islands between Japan and China
Those changes forced then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to amend the self-defense provisions in the country's constitution
Accordingly, Japan's defense budget has increased significantly since 2012 after many consecutive years of cuts
Specifically, Japan spent $65 billion on defense in 2020
Over the past few years, Japanese defense planners have focused on the deployment of military forces
The annual white paper emphasizes this issue, with the goal of protecting the remote islands
specifically the disputed Senkaku Islands between Okinawa and Taiwan (China)
In 2018, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's Rapid Amphibious Deployment Brigade was established
This is a force similar to the US Marines, allowing the military to effectively and quickly conduct defensive operations across the country
Recently, Japan has also actively focused on investing in the space sector, for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance
In May 2020, Japan established its own Space Operations Squadron with an initial number of 20 people
The unit is also part of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and is expected to grow to 100 people by 2023
This new unit plays an important role in the development of hypersonic weapons that Japan is pursuing
In recent years, Japan has been evaluated as a country possessing many of the world's leading defense technologies
not even inferior to military powers such as the US and Russia
Regarding the army, Japan has developed domestic tanks and self-propelled guns, which are highly appreciated for their combat power
The main punch of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force is currently the Type-10 main battle tank
manufactured by MHI corporation to supplement and gradually replace the Type-74 and Type-90 tanks
With a price of up to $ 9.4 million/unit, this is one of the most expensive tanks in the world today
Along with that, the strengthening of the Type 16 maneuver combat vehicle, shows the great investment of Japan in defense
The Type 16 MCV's primary role is to provide direct fire support to infantry units
which can engage hostile armored vehicles, as well as buildings and fortifications
Improved mobility was also a factor that pushed Japan to develop the Type 19 wheeled self-propelled howitzer
The Type 19 used the chassis of the German MAN 8x8 heavy truck
The vehicle's specifications have not been announced
but it is likely that the Type 19 inherits the 155mm cannon of the Type 99 tracked self-propelled howitzer
Japan has purchased seven more Type 19s in the 2020 defense budget
Besides, the country is also developing a new tracked amphibious vehicle to replace the current AAV-7s
Japan is also mastering the technology of developing aircraft carriers after successfully upgrading the Izumo-class helicopter destroyers
that can carry and deploy with F-35 fighter jets
Tokyo owns many advanced classes of destroyers such as Maya, Atago and Kongo
all equipped with Aegis combat systems like the US Arleigh Burke class
In addition, the Akizuki-class destroyers still have remarkable combat power
Tokyo also possesses full technology to develop other types of warships such as corvettes, amphibious ships, transport ships
In addition to the Izumo, Japan has two more smaller Hyuga-class ships
Regarding submarines, Japan, along with Germany
are now considered the world's two leading manufacturers of diesel and electric powered attack submarines
Tokyo is known for its Soryu and Oyashio classes
With a full-load displacement when submerged up to 4,200 tons
the Soryu has a top speed of about 35 km/h and a range of more than 11,000 km, while achieving extremely low noise levels
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has also commissioned its first non-nuclear submarine, the JS Oryu
powered by a lithium-ion battery for longer and safer underwater operations
This is an important step forward for Japan's next generation submarine
After years of using the American P-3 Orion anti-submarine reconnaissance aircraft, Japan developed the Kawasaki P-1 to replace it
Since 2000, Japan has also cooperated with the US to develop the Mitsubishi F-2 fighter as a separate version of the famous F-16 series
Japan is also an important partner in the F-35 stealthy 5th generation fighter project initiated by the US
Up to now, after receiving the F-35, Tokyo is also pursuing a program to develop the Mitsubishi F-3 fighter
equivalent to the F-2 Raptor that the US does not export
Japan maintains a large Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) around its territory
and its interceptors are regularly tasked with identifying and monitoring intruding foreign military aircraft
Along with the F-15J and F-35 fighters, Japan is also developing a new generation of fighters to replace 87 Mitsubishi F-2A/B multirole fighters
In October 2018, then-Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya announced that the country would purchase nine more E-2Ds
totaling $3.135 billion, to replace the aging E-2C fleet
Earlier, Japan decided to buy 17 more MV-22 Osprey helicopters
to supplement the amphibious force being built with the help and effective advice of the US