2018-01-06 On December 22, 2017, the Japanese government published their new defense budget on the MoD website.
With an enhanced threat from North Korea and China and the continuing challenges posed by Russia, the Japanese have been strengthening their perimeter defense and are looking to more effectively integrate their defense capabilities with their closest defense partners, which increasingly includes Australia as well.
For example, Japan and Australia are in talks to establish a first-ever visiting forces agreement with an ally other than the United States.
One of the more interesting features of the priority on defense modernization is shaping a more effective integrated C2 system to replace stovepiped service C2 systems.
Strengthening information and communications capability, which is a prerequisite for supporting nation-wide operations
Gradually introduce cloud technology to integrate the command systems that were developed individually by each SDF service. The integration will increase the system’s operational flexibility and resiliency, and at the same time, reduce the costs associated with development and maintenance of the system
- Replacement of the central command system (Design process from FY2017 will continue in FY2018) (¥400 million)
- Establishment/Development of common cloud computing infrastructure, etc. (¥600 million)
- Establishment/Development of cloud computing infrastructure for the GSDF (¥3.8 billion)
- Enhancement of the network surveillance function of the Defense Information Infrastructure (DII*), etc. (¥7.4 billion)
- Significantly increase equipment for network surveillance in order to strengthen the security of DII * Defense Information Infrastructure
http://www.mod.go.jp/e/d_budget/pdf/291222.pdf
