Japanese government reviews previous administration's defence budget

The Japanese government is considering an internal proposal to postpone the implementation of a key budget and procurement policy until late 2010, Jane's understands.

The existing National Defense Program Guideline policy and its incorporated Mid-Term Defence Programme were introduced in December 2004 and were scheduled to be updated before the end of 2009. However, the new government, which took office in September, has pushed for the delay in order to conduct a review of the Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10) defence budget that was recommended by the previous administration. The FY10 expenditure is scheduled to be submitted to the National Diet around 21 December.

A source in the Japanese Ministry of Defense told Jane's that the government was considering the move, but stressed that no decision had yet been made.