The incoming government in Japan appears prepared to reduce funding for missile defense programs intended to protect the nation from North Korea or other threats, Bloomberg reported today (see GSN, Aug. 17).
“Missile defense is almost totally useless,” said Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi. “Only one or two out of 100 are ever effective."
The party defeated the sitting Liberal Democratic Party in Aug. 30 elections. Yukio Hatoyama, DPJ chief, is set to become prime minister on Sept. 16.
Japan has sought to establish missile defenses using the land-based Patriot Advanced Capability 3 and the ship-based Standard Missile 3. The Defense Ministry is seeking a $1.9 billion missile defense budget for 2010, which would be a 58-percent hike from current spending.
Yamaguchi offered his comments even as North Korea seeks to improve its nuclear and missile capabilities. Pyongyang this year has launched several missiles and conducted a second nuclear test (see related GSN story, today).
“Regardless of the threat from North Korea, defense specialists must know that no number of SM-3s or PAC-3s can directly protect us,” said Yamaguchi, the party's deputy defense spokesman before the elections.
“We’ll probably cut” defense spending, he added. “There’s so much else we have to do, such as child care allowance, education, health care and pensions" (Sakamaki/Hirokawa, Bloomberg, Sept. 11).