Japan’s ruling party calls for military to have offensive weapons
By
Peter Symonds
1 April 2017
Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has called on the government to boost the country’s anti-ballistic missile systems and to consider acquiring, for the first time, weapons capable of carrying out attacks on enemy bases. The recommendations are another step towards the remilitarisation of Japan pressed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that is adding to sharp regional tensions.
The LDP’s defence policy council handed a report to Abe on Thursday which claimed that North Korea represented a “new level of threat” after it test fired four ballistic missiles last month towards Japan. The launches took place as the US and South Korea engaged in massive annual military drills involving more than 320,000 troops, stealth warplanes and an entire aircraft carrier battle group.
“North Korea’s provocative acts have reached a level that Japan absolutely cannot overlook,” the council stated. “We should not waste any time to strengthen our ballistic missile defense.”
The body, which is headed by former Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera, suggested that Japan acquire weapons such as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system that the US is currently installing in South Korea as well as a shore-based Aegis anti-ballistic missile system.
The LDP defence policy council also proposed that Japan consider possessing “our own capability of striking back at an enemy base, with cruise missiles for instance, to further improve deterrence and response as part of the Japan-U.S. alliance.”
Successive Japanese governments have baulked at possessing offensive weapons such as cruise missiles, long-range bombers and aircraft carriers. Not only would such weapons openly…