防衛予算増額 領土を守る体制拡充の一歩に

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Feb. 3, 2013)
Defense spending increases should serve national security
防衛予算増額　領土を守る体制拡充の一歩に（2月2日付・読売社説）

The abnormal situation in which Japan alone kept slashing its defense spending while neighboring countries were substantially increasing theirs has been brought to an end. This is a significant development.
　周辺国が大幅に国防費を伸ばす中、日本だけが防衛費を減らし続ける異常事態に終止符を打った意義は大きい。

The administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to boost defense-related spending, excluding financial support for municipalities that host U.S. military bases, to 4.68 trillion yen in a draft budget for fiscal 2013, up 35.1 billion yen, or 0.8 percent, from the previous fiscal year. This is the first defense spending increase in 11 years.
　安倍政権が２０１３年度予算案で防衛関係費（米軍基地の地元負担軽減分を除く）に４兆６８０４億円を計上し、前年度より３５１億円（０・８％）増やした。防衛費増額は１１年ぶりだ。

Compared with China, which has seen double-digit rises in its defense spending every year, Japan's increase is insufficient. However, we highly regard the government's emphasis on protecting Japan's territories.
　国防費の伸び率が毎年２ケタ台の中国と比べれば、日本の増額は十分でないが、領土を守る姿勢を示したことは評価できる。

In tandem with a review of the current National Defense Program Guidelines, which is expected to be carried out this year, it is vital to send a message to the international community in the medium and long term that Japan takes its security seriously.
　年内に予定している防衛大綱の見直しと連動して、「日本は安全保障を真剣に考えている」というメッセージを国際社会に中長期的に発信することが肝要である。

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SDF eyes capacity buildup

We think it reasonable that the fiscal 2013 budget reflects the government's focus on the Senkaku Islands and other southwestern Japanese territories, placing importance on a capability buildup for surveillance and defense of remote islets.
　１３年度予算が、尖閣諸島など南西方面を重視し、警戒監視活動や離島防衛などの対処能力の強化に重点を置いているのは妥当だ。

The Maritime Self-Defense Force plans to introduce the new P-1 patrol aircraft and aims to extend the useful life of a total of 16 escort vessels and submarines by five to 10 years through repair. The Air Self-Defense Force also plans to reinforce the ability of its equipment, such as the Airborne Warning and Control System, the early-warning E2C aircraft, and the radar system on Miyakojima island in Okinawa Prefecture.
　海上自衛隊は、新しい哨戒機Ｐ１を導入し、護衛艦、潜水艦計１６隻の艦齢を修繕により５～１０年延ばす。航空自衛隊も、空中警戒管制機（ＡＷＡＣＳ）や早期警戒機Ｅ２Ｃ、沖縄・宮古島のレーダーなどの能力を向上させる。

The Ground Self-Defense Force intends to deploy a coastal monitoring unit on Yonaguni Island and expand the scale of joint exercises with U.S. marines.
　陸上自衛隊は、与那国島に沿岸監視部隊を配置し、米海兵隊との共同訓練を拡充する。

These buildup plans are in line with a national "dynamic defense" vision that places priority on increased mobility and troop operations. The plans are likely to boost deterrence toward the nation's neighboring countries.
　いずれも部隊運用や機動力を重視する「動的防衛力」構想に合致したもので、周辺国に対する抑止力の強化につながろう。

The government also has included in the draft budget research costs on the Global Hawk high-altitude reconnaissance drone and the upgraded Osprey transport aircraft. The Global Hawk is fit for lengthy surveillance activities while the Osprey would be instrumental in protecting remote islands. The government should consider introducing them more aggressively.
　高高度無人偵察機グローバルホークと新型輸送機オスプレイの調査費も計上した。無人機は長時間の警戒監視活動に、オスプレイは離島防衛などに威力を発揮する。導入を前向きに検討すべきだ。

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Questions raised over priority

Meanwhile, we question why the government has decided to divide the 287 newly recruited SDF members almost equally among its branches--94 for the GSDF, 96 for the MSDF and 97 for the ASDF. This is a typical example of horizontal egalitarianism.
　疑問なのは、２８７人の自衛官増員の内訳を、陸自９４人、海自９６人、空自９７人とほぼ同じにしたことだ。悪(あ)しき横並びの典型だ。

Given that China's provocations around the Senkaku Islands could continue for a long time, Japan's top priority is clearly to strengthen surveillance by the MSDF and ASDF. The government would be able to deploy more GSDF personnel to southwestern Japanese territories simply by shifting them from Hokkaido and other regions, instead of increasing their number.
　尖閣諸島周辺における中国の示威活動の長期化を踏まえれば、最優先課題は、明らかに海自と空自の警戒体制の強化である。陸自の南西方面の増員分は、純増でなく、北海道など他の地域の人員を減らすことで確保できるはずだ。

After the Cold War ended, the nation's National Defense Program Guidelines were revised three times, but the respective percentages of the budget allocated to the GSDF, MSDF and ASDF remain almost unchanged. Such allocations should be reviewed in response to changes in national threats, but bureaucratic tribalism and organizational defense structures are said to hamper such a review.
　冷戦終結後、防衛大綱は３回改定されたが、陸海空３自衛隊の予算配分比率はほとんど変わっていない。脅威の変化に応じて配分比率を見直すのが筋なのに、陸海空の縦割り意識や組織防衛が障害になって実現しなかったという。

Amid fiscal difficulties, the government would find it difficult to significantly boost the defense budget. It therefore needs to reduce the number of GSDF members and streamline procurement of defense equipment further when crafting new national defense guidelines and budgets for fiscal 2014 and after.
　厳しい財政事情を考えれば、今後、防衛予算を大幅に伸ばすことは困難だろう。新たな防衛大綱や１４年度以降の予算では、陸自の定数削減や装備調達の合理化を一層進める必要がある。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 2, 2013)
（2013年2月2日01時24分  読売新聞）