2012-11-10 by Richard Weitz In spite of a common threat, South Korea and Japan have struggled to present a united front against that threat. South Korea and Japan both face a common military threat from North Korea, made evident most recently by the DPRK artillery strike against Yeonpyeong Island in…
2012-10-23 by Robbin Laird The United States became a Pacific power by means of gaining Spanish territory after the Spanish-American war, and events in Hawaii that eventually led to Hawaii becoming a U.S. territory. The late 19th century saw the emergence of the U.S. as a Pacific power, so the pivot…
2012-09-30 By Richard Weitz Although the Japanese-U.S. security relationship has evolved considerably since the end of the Cold War, the fundamental bargain enshrined in their mutual security treaty has remained. The United States will defend Japan from external aggression while the Japanese will facilitate this process by hosting U.S. military…
2012-09-26 by Richard Weitz As Japan moves forward in shaping a 21st century defense strategy, defense procurement reform will become part of the picture. Current policies result in major Japan’s indigenously produced weapons systems, such as tanks and fighter aircraft, ranking among the most expensive in the world. The Japanese…
2012-09-24 By Richard Weitz Despite recent efforts to enhance international cooperation on defense industrial issues, American companies that attempt to enter the Japanese defense market directly continue to complain about such recurring problems as bureaucratic impediments, language barriers, and the limited availability of post-sale repair and maintenance services. As a…
2012-09-23 by Richard Weitz Japan’s “Three Principles on Arms Exports” have also constrained the development of its domestic defense industry. The Japanese government adopted these comprehensive restrictions on the export of military equipment in 1967 to affirm the country’s renunciation of militarism. At the time, they prohibited Japanese companies from…
2012-09-20 By Richard Weitz Japan’s defense procurement policy maintains a desire for autonomy, corporate nurturing, and technology diffusion. Although it is somewhat more open to arms exports and collaborating with foreign companies than in the past, defense procurement still suffers from two grave defects. First, the high degree of protectionism…
2012-09-17 By Richard Weitz The Japanese government continues to allocate approximately one percent of the country’s GDP to the military, a fairly low level compared to most countries. But the enormous size of Japan’s economy means that even this formula generates one of the largest defense budgets in the world.…
