Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF)

Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) is the modern name for the Japanese armed forces.

Structure

The armed forces include:

• Ground Self-Defense Forces, Japan
• Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force,
• Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

History

2023

Defense spending - 1.2% of GDP

Estimating some countries' defense costs as a share of their GDP in 2023

Construction of new storage facilities for long-range missiles for $84 million

Japan continues to build up its military potential amid missile launches from the DPRK and the "growing Chinese threat." In September 2023 , it became known about plans to build new storage facilities in which long-range missiles will be located.

According to media reports, the new military facilities will be located at the bases of the Japan Self-Defense Forces in the prefectures of Hokkaido, Okinawa, Kagoshima and Miyazaki. In terms of the defense budget, $84 million has been allocated for this.

Starting in 2022, Japan has actively started talking about the need to create a whole arsenal of long-range missiles to launch a retaliatory or even preventive strike on targets that pose a threat to national security.

2022

7th place in the list of the largest importers of weapons

Data for 2022

Japan buys world's largest flying drones

On December 21, 2022, the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) reported that an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) RQ-4B Global Hawk, previously delivered to the country by the American company Northrop Grumman, first took off. Read more here.

A new national security strategy has been adopted with an increase in defense spending by 2 times to $320 billion or 2% of GDP by 2027.

On December 16, 2022, Japan adopted a new national security strategy, which involves, in particular, the country's ability to launch "counterattacks" to prevent enemy attacks. Tokyo also planned to double defense spending, increasing it to 43 trillion yen ($320 billion) by 2027, that is, to about 2% of GDP.

Japan agreed to spend $1.8 billion a year on the maintenance of 50 thousand US military and their families

In January 2022, the United States and Japan formalized a five-year agreement on financing troops, according to which Japan will spend an average of 211 billion yen ($1.8 billion) a year to deploy about 50,000 American troops and their families.

2019: Building the first cyber weapon

At the end of April 2019, it became known about the creation of the first cyber weapon for Japan. It is planned to be used to protect against hackers. Read more here.

2017: No. 2 in the world after Russia in self-propelled artillery

1939: Participation in World War II

Main article: World War II

1937

Imperial Japanese soldiers climb the Great Wall of China, 1937.

1920

Japanese Army Officer Gaishi Nagaoka, 1920