The Japan News:
The government will likely include about ¥200 billion in the third supplementary budget for fiscal 2016 to reinforce its missile defense system in response to North Korea’s ballistic missile launches, according to government sources.
The government intends to compile a total supplementary budget of around ¥1 trillion, excluding economic stimulus measures, they said.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to instruct Finance Minister Taro Aso soon to start compiling the budget. The government will likely approve the supplementary budget at a Cabinet meeting in mid-December, and submit it to an ordinary Diet session to be convened next year.
The government plans to appropriate about ¥188 billion for the purchase of improved Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) surface-to-air guided missiles, and for the costs to upgrade a system to equip the advanced PAC-3 missiles.
While PAC-3 missiles currently deployed in Japan have a range of about 15 to 20 kilometers, the improved version could almost double the range.
The Defense Ministry had previously made a budgetary request for fiscal 2017 to purchase improved PAC-3 missiles, among others. The government has decided to expedite part of the implementation of the budget.
The government also will earmark about ¥7 billion to add the missile defense function to the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Aegis-equipped vessels.
