Originally published on December 12, 2013
Japan will strengthen its military defenses covering the southwest islands in disputed waters according to a defense plan draft released on Wednesday.
The draft outlines Self-Defense Force troop deployments over the next five years in what was dubbed as a "purely defensive" plan. The government plans to double the number of F-15 fighter jets deployed at Naha military air base in Okinawa to defend against airspace incursions that may take place in the regions surrounding the Nansei Islands.
To support the fighter jets, unmanned surveillance drones as well as E-2C early warning aircrafts will be also be deployed at the Naha base. The drones can be remotely controlled by pilots through satellite feed and the manned E-2C aircrafts to be transported from their base in Misawa, Japan, have 360-degree air and water surface radar that enables them for battle management and control.
The goal of the program is to bolster Japan's ability to "respond to attacks in remote islands." It aims to "prioritise the improvement of Japan's defense capability for stable maintenance of sea and air supremacy, which serves as a foundation for realising effective deterrence and countermeasures. The program also attaches importance to improving the mobile capability of the Self-Defense Force."
According to a New York Times report, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has stressed that the plan is purely defensive, and has called the draft a "historic document" as it is Japan's first attempt at creating a national security strategy in response to the changing regional environment.
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