Japan OKs record $56B defense budget, looking to counter North Korean missiles | NK News
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November 02, 2024
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Japan OKs record $56B defense budget, looking to counter North Korean missiles

Draft budget allocates funds for missile defense ships, counterstrike capabilities and hypersonic missile interceptors

Japan’s cabinet approved a record $55.9 billion (7.95 trillion yen) defense budget on Friday, allocating funds to strengthen air and missile defenses and acquire counterstrike capabilities in response to North Korean military threats.

The draft budget for fiscal year 2024 represents a 16.5 percent rise from the previous year and sets a new high-water mark for the 10th consecutive year amid an increasingly severe security situation in East Asia. 

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