The Japanese government's decision to relax rules on defense exports has the potential to give the country a much-needed national security boost.
By deciding this week to relax its rules prohibiting the export of defense equipment, the new Japanese administration of Yoshihiko Noda has done something that local defense industry and the country's security experts have for many years been crying out for.
Until now, the numbers just didn't add up for Japan's big defense firms, such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries. heir only customer, the Japanese government, has stubbornly held defense spending below 1 percent of GDP, with much of that money going towards imported American weaponry; indeed, the defense budget has generally been declining in recent years. (The Diplomat)
The Japanese government's decision to relax rules on defense exports has the potential to give the country a much-needed national security boost.
By deciding this week to relax its rules prohibiting the export of defense equipment, the new Japanese administration of Yoshihiko Noda has done something that local defense industry and the country's security experts have for many years been crying out for.
Until now, the numbers just didn't add up for Japan's big defense firms, such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries. heir only customer, the Japanese government, has stubbornly held defense spending below 1 percent of GDP, with much of that money going towards imported American weaponry; indeed, the defense budget has generally been declining in recent years. (The Diplomat)