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Japan’s Defense Ministry to ask for bigger budget

The ministry explains the demand by higher prices for imported military equipment, which may be explained by lower rate of national currency

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

TOKYO, August 2 (Itar-Tass) - Japan’s Defense Ministry will insist on bigger budget financing - by at least 180 billion yens /$1.8 billion / - from next year, Japan’s media reported on Friday.

The ministry explains the demand by higher prices for imported military equipment, which may be explained by lower rate of national currency. At the same time, the ministry says it would be necessary to raise expenses in response to bigger “activities from China and Russia in the Pacific Ocean,” as Japan’s authorities say. Another reason mentioned is that the country has to react to the activities of DPRK, which continues its work on ballistic missiles.

Earlier in June, Japan’s government decided to set up its own division of Marine Corps as a part of the national defense forces to protect the remote southern islands. The ministry plans to buy U.S. Global Hawk drones, which are able to carry out 30-hours flights at an altitude of up to 18 thousand meters, thus they suit well to patrol large areas.

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