TOKYO, 17th June 2025 (WAM) -- A Defence Ministry panel of Japan is set to propose that the government consider raising defence spending beyond the current goal of 2 percent of gross domestic product, Kyodo News reported.
The panel calls for discussions on deploying submarines equipped with long-range missiles, including nuclear-powered ones, to strengthen the country's deterrence capability. It remains unclear how the proposal will be reflected in Japan's defence policy, as questions remain over how to fund a larger budget and whether using nuclear power for defence purposes would conflict with the country's policy of peaceful atomic energy use.
In its proposal, the committee stated that the government "should not hesitate to pursue the further strengthening of defence capabilities after the achievement" of the current target to have defence-related spending account for 2 percent of GDP.
The plan, known as the Defence Buildup Programme, allocates 43 trillion yen ($298 billion) over five years through March 2028, aiming for defence spending to reach 2 percent of GDP in fiscal 2027.
Japan's annual defence budget had long been capped at around 1 percent of GDP.
The programme was adopted in December 2022 as part of three key security documents that marked a major shift in defence policy for a country with a pacifist Constitution, including a plan to acquire strike capabilities that could reach an adversary's territory.