(Provisional translation by an external company for reference purpose only)
I am very pleased to announce that, as a result of negotiations conducted with the Minister of Finance, we received approval for the full amount we requested. Specifically, we secured approval to include necessary expenses for two items: improvement of treatment of Self-Defense Force (SDF) personnel, and adaptation to new ways of warfare. Regarding the first item, improvement of treatment, I received concrete requests from personnel during my visit to Camp Omiya yesterday and every time I visited units across the country. I often receive specific requests related to food from personnel on the ground. Just yesterday, ranger units asked that we supply not only sweet bread but also other foods, such as CalorieMate, protein bars, and jelly as food and nutritional replenishment to carry around. Since we received approval for the full amount, we can increase food expenses by the largest margin ever and raise unit costs by approximately 14%. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Minister Katayama, the officials of the Ministry of Finance (MOF) who went to great lengths, and the officials of the Ministry of Defense (MOD) who conducted the negotiations. Additionally, to improve the personnel’s living environment, we need to not only improve their meals and food but also refurbish SDF camps that were built many years ago and do not meet seismic standards. For example, facilities such as Camp Sendai and Naha Air Base were built over 60 years ago. Today’s budget approval will enable the rebuilding and refurbishment of aging barracks. We will carry out maintenance work at 34 barracks in 29 areas. We will also install private spaces and make other improvements to the personnel’s living environment in line with contemporary needs. In addition, it has become possible to create new allowances. For example, allowances for maintenance personnel had been low until now. As a result of today’s negotiations, it has become possible to create new allowances for personnel who conduct maintenance work under harsh conditions, such as maintenance of aircraft deployed to Iwo-Jima Island for surveillance over the Pacific. In the FY2026 draft budget, we received approval to include approximately 600 billion yen in total on a contract basis for these and other projects related to reinforcing the human resource base. Furthermore, based on recent instructions from Prime Minister Takaichi, we aim to revise the SDF personnel salary schedule for the first time since the SDF was established, or the first time in approximately 70 years, in FY2027, a year earlier than planned. We will work to ensure that the treatment of personnel is commensurate with the unique nature of their duties and work environment, as well as with the constraints and burdens borne by the personnel. I have requested Minister Katayama’s cooperation on this as well. The second item is new ways of warfare, for which the full amount was also approved. With Japan facing the most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II, it is urgent that the MOD/SDF establish a posture for adapting to new ways of warfare. This is clear from the aggression against Ukraine, which has seen the deployment of a large number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and the waging of large-scale, complex attacks combining traditional artillery and missiles. MOD’s request for the project to establish Synchronized, Hybrid, Integrated and Enhanced Littoral Defense (SHIELD) by unmanned assets seeks to adapt Japan to these new ways of warfare. Specifically, should there be a maritime invasion of Japan, the SDF would use stand-off missiles to reduce enemy vessels at a distance and deploy large numbers of unmanned equipment against enemy forces that are approaching remote island areas. This will stop the enemy’s invasion along the coast while protecting the lives of our personnel. The aim of the project is to acquire the necessary UAVs to execute this mission. To rapidly prepare for new ways of warfare and further strengthen Japan’s defense, we received approval to include 100 billion yen on a contract basis for the SHIELD project in the FY2026 draft budget. In order to fulfill MOF’s expectations in approving these two items, I believe MOD bears responsibility to make continuous efforts to ensure proper execution and streamlining, and we intend to do so. The approval of the full amount will allow us to further improve the treatment of personnel. I am glad that I am able to make this positive announcement at the end of the year.