“Preparedness for a Potential War in the Pacific”
Japan's defense budget for fiscal year 2022 has increased by more than 1% compared to 2021. Officially, it's $ 5.4 trillion yen ($ 47.2 billion). She exceeded Russia's defense budget. According to experts, this is a remarkable fact, because it testifies to the revived military ambitions of the Land of the Rising Sun, which suffered a crushing defeat in World War II.
Photo: AP
In principle, Russia would not have to worry too much about its eastern neighbor's military spending. Well, she overtook and overtook. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu recently stated that in terms of the military budget, Russia is in fact in 9th place among the world's leading countries. The United States is ahead with a budget of $ 775 billion for 2022. Then China, which is still 2-3 times behind the United States in military spending, but 5 times ahead of Russia. In front of us is the United Kingdom, France, Saudi Arabia … The budget for the defense of the Russian Federation is estimated at about $ 45 billion.
In the case of Japan, however, there is one circumstance that we should not forget. This country has territorial claims against Russia. He openly claims the 4 islands of the Kuril ridge, which Russia acquired after World War II.
And also Japan & ndash; the closest ally of the United States. In your territory & ndash; dozens of US military installations. The armed forces of Japan and the United States are so closely linked that they can be seen as the only military unit that poses a strategic threat to us in the Far East.
Recently, for example, a representative of the Japanese embassy in Moscow was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry in connection with a Japanese-American naval exercise in the Hokkaido island area.
There are a total of 94 US military bases in the Japanese islands. US Soldiers Grouping & ndash; more than 50 thousand people. The United States spends about $ 9 billion a year to maintain its military infrastructure in Japan and is likely to grow in the coming years due to US plans to reduce China, well & nbsp; and Russia, of course. Japan's airports house US nuclear weapons carriers capable of hitting our cities in the Far East.
Well-known political scientist Semyon Bagdasarov commented on another diplomatic démarche by the Russian Foreign Ministry to Japan. This time, a protest was filed by representatives of the Japanese embassy in Moscow in connection with the exhibition in Tokyo dedicated to the South Kurils and the Japanese-American exercise Resolute Dragon 2021.
“ in the Pacific Ocean, & ndash; Bagdasarov wrote in his Telegram channel. & ndash; In no way will Japan accept that the islands were transferred to the Soviet Union as a result of World War II. And the United States is actively cooperating with the Allies not only on the western border but also in the east. So we have problems on all fronts. & # 39; & # 39;
We should therefore pay particular attention to Japan's military preparations. At the same time strengthen its Pacific fleet. It is no coincidence that a series of six Project 636.6 diesel-electric submarines are being built for it, armed with Kalibr long-range missiles. Nuclear missile launchers for the Borei-A and & # 39; Ash-M & # 39; projects are also being built. Some are armed with ICBM Bulava, while others do invulnerable hypersonic missiles Zircon. So probably before “Second Tsushima”, when the Japanese fleet sank the Russian squadron, it will not reach the Pacific Ocean.