How good is the Japan Self-Defense Force?

Apr 13, 2023

∙ Paid

TOKYO — The Japan Self-Defense Force has been in the news of late. Back in December Prime Minister Kishida announced a doubling of the defense budget to 2% of the GDP (¥43 trillion ($315 billion) by 2027 with an intention to move away from its exclusively defense-oriented posture and spend money on longer range missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles.

This bump in spending has been given added significance recently with the proliferation of missile tests by North Korea, increased military exercises by China around the straits of Taiwan, and the Prime Minister’s visit to Ukraine.

So, one might ask, just how strong is the JSDF and how would it respond if attacked?

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