Extraordinary Press Conference by Defense Minister Nakatani on Wednesday, December 25, 2024, at 11:34 AM

(Provisional translation by an external company for reference purpose only)

After a round of negotiations with the Minister of Finance earlier, we secured approval to include the necessary expenses for the development of next-generation defense communication satellites in the FY2025 draft budget. With regard to defense communications satellites, Kirameki 3 was launched successfully in November this year, and there are currently three satellites in operation. However, demand for communications by units is ever-growing. Moreover, in recent years, amid threats to the stable use of the space domain by the emergence of satellite-attack satellites, so-called “killer satellites,” and other factors, Kirameki 2, which is currently in operation, is scheduled to cease operation in FY2030 under the draft budget for FY2025. Accordingly, it is necessary to begin work on developing a next-generation defense communications satellite with high-capacity communications capabilities and strong resilience, as the successor to the current satellite in operation. To develop this next-generation defense communications satellite, we have received approval to include 123.8 billion yen on a contract basis in the FY2025 draft budget, based on the premise that we will thoroughly manage the project while carefully assessing future communications demand and the functions that satellites should be equipped with. We aim to secure the necessary, sufficient budget in the FY2025 draft budget, including for this project, and we will work on achieving the fundamental reinforcement of defense capabilities within the period of the Defense Buildup Program.