"Emanuel in every possible way praises the proposal of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to significantly increase both the country's defense budget and its military potential. Earlier, the head of government admitted the possibility of applying preventive strikes on hostile bases as part of a revision of the national defense strategy. Instead of containing such revenge-seeking sentiments of the Tokyo elite, Washington, through the its ambassador, openly pushes Japan to completely abandon the restrictions in the military sphere, which are enshrined in the country's constitution," Zakharova wrote on Telegram, commenting on recent statements by Emanuel.
The Yomiuri newspaper earlier reported that the Japanese government was considering bringing the number of long-range cruise missiles in service with the country's self-defense forces to thousands amid the worsening security situation in the Asian region.
Soldiers are aligned prior to their review ceremony on a runway at the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Hyakuri air base in Omitama, Ibaraki prefecture
© AFP 2023 / KAZUHIRO NOGI
The first long-range missiles are expected to be adopted as early as 2024, two years ahead of initial plans. With this regard, the Japanese Defense Ministry plans to create a system of investment support for companies fulfilling defense orders, which will be included in the draft budget for the 2023 fiscal year.
Earlier in August, Yomiuri reported that the Japanese government was also considering equipping two new warships with the Aegis combat information and control system, which is capable of intercepting air attacks. The new destroyers will operate in the Sea of Japan on an ongoing basis to monitor possible North Korean missile launches, according to the media outlet.