A Defense Oversight

[The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]

In a rare joint statement between members of several different parties within the National Diet and the Prime Minister, the Japanese government has agreed to set aside a considerable sum within the defense budget for the upcoming fiscal year for the purposes of expanding Japanese shipbuilding capacity. The budget will include provisions for an expansion to existing naval yards in Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Osaka, and Hamamatsu. It will also provide funds for the construction of new, more-modern shipyards in Kochi, Miyazaki, Niigata, Sokcho, and Busan.

These expansions to the Japanese shipbuilding industry are said to be aimed at providing both a tangible economic benefit in the form of large-scale commercial cargo vessel construction, as well as allowing Japan to field notably larger warships to include modern Aircraft Carriers or battlecruisers.


In conjunction with the naval spending agreement, the National Diet has also put forward a proposition that will greatly expand the ranks of the Japanese Army. Under the proposed legislation, the Japanese government will adopt a system similar to the G.I. Bill, though with some privileges omitted due to their pre-existence under current national welfare programs:
1. Complete coverage for higher education tuition following the completion of a service contract in the Japanese Armed Forces which results in an honorable discharge.
2. The opening of combat roles to women within the Japanese armed forces; including Combat Pilot, Infantry, Combat Medic, Field Engineering, Armor, Airborne, and Cavalry.
3. The expansion of coverage for medical and educational costs of servicemen and women to dependents and families (though not offering complete coverage, the proposed rates would cover 75% of the national average cost of higher education and medical consultation), with increased rates for the families and dependents of servicemen and women who fall in the line of duty.

Offering a rare statement on public policy, Emperor Akihito goes on record as saying: "It is my sincere hope that our increased commitment to the brave young men and women who offer their safety and their lives in service of Japan and all of her peoples is even close to enough of a repayment for their bravery. Our three decades of peace are owed to the brave men who answer the most honorable of calls, and it is my hope that the young people of Japan today carry on the honorable tradition of service to our great nation."

[The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]

The proposed legislation, thanks largely to the vocal support of His Imperial Majesty Akihito, passes through the National Diet with a handy majority, being signed into law by the Prime Minister the following day. Almost like clockwork, the Japanese Army and Marine Infantry begin offering sign-on bonuses totaling to about ~$20,000 USD for enlisted personnel and $35,000 for commissioned personnel, with these bonuses also being extended to re-enlistment or re-commissioning in an attempt to increase retention.

The proposed budget increase for the Navy also passes, as it is projected to provide somewhere in the realm of 40,000 collective jobs throughout the Japanese territory. Construction on the shipyards is projected to begin soon, as the lands on which the yards have been planned to be constructed are already land under the direct ownership of the Military, being used as training areas for amphibious landings or testing ranges for new equipment.

[The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]

Construction has begun on the additional fleet yards for the Japanese Navy, with the projects proceeding steadily. The sheer size of the new shipyards and slipways present a slight challenge, as these are the first shipyards of their size that have ever been constructed on Japanese soil, so extra precautions have been taken to ensure safety for all working crews. This has slightly slowed progress on the program.

The concerted effort by the Japanese Defense Ministry to both retain their personnel and onboard new servicemen and women seems to be working, with the MoD projecting a 55% increase in contract renewal among active service personnel, and maintaining an internal goal of bringing in 200,000 additional active duty personnel for the Japanese Army, 100,000 for the Maritime Ground Forces, and 75,000 personnel for the Air Force. So far, with the increased benefits and the quickly ramping-up recruitment campaigns, the MoD has already met 20% of their recruitment goals.

[The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]

Thanks in large part to the vocal support of the Emperor, the Japanese Army and Marine forces were able to exceed their internal recruitment goals quite handily, managing to bring a combined 300,000 personnel into new enlisted and commissioned roles (225,000 Army, 125,000 Marines). The Air Force, due to its fairly stringent requirements for service as a combat pilot, sees recruitment figures that don't quite manage to meet their internal goal, but many experts considered that goal highly optimistic to begin with. (50,000 Air Force personnel, totaling a capability to field 50 more aircraft).

Construction continues slowly on the new shipyards and port facilities across Japanese territory, with an additional two shipyards slated for construction in the Philippines. The new yards in Korea and Japan have reached an estimated 35% completion, while the expansions to existing shipyards has proceeded much faster due to the fact that most of the infrastructure is already present, estimated to be about halfway completed.

[The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]

New recruits to the Japanese armed forces have begun training across the nation, with basic training for the Army lasting six weeks on average, followed by an eight week advanced skills course specific to their chosen role. Several old vessels that were slated for the scrapyard are temporarily reactivated to serve as training vessels off of the East Coast of the Home Islands to train the incoming naval personnel. Japanese Marine and Airborne troops undergo training in the second island chain to prepare for amphibious operations.

Progress on the new shipyards proceeds as normal, with the Ministry of Defense estimating them to be at 70% completion. The upgraded shipyards are estimated to be at 90% completion, and the two new shipyards in the Philippines have reached ~25% completion status. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and IHI Heavy Industries have already begun hiring for workers in these new shipyards and port facilities, offering highly competitive wages thanks to subsidy by the Japanese government. The Japanese Ministry of Defense and Department of the Navy have already placed an order for several warships, including the newly-designed Kaga-class Aircraft Carrier and Tarawa-class Assault Carrier.

[The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]

The new dockyards in Korea and the Home Islands complete construction and crews are brought in to begin immediate construction of the larger, newly-ordered vessels for the Japanese Navy, and the two dockyards selected for upgrades also complete their upgrades, allowing them to both dock and construct these larger warships and merchant vessels. There are some unforeseen teething issues with the new tooling and machinery used in these larger shipyards, so additional training for the work crews is begun to ease the onboarding and workload, thereby increasing the efficiency of the shipyards. The new shipyards in the Philippines reach an estimated 55% completion status, with a few snags due to the wet season in the Philippines.

With the new shipyards starting to come online, the Japanese Navy has already placed an order for two Kaga-class Supercarriers to bolster the fleet's air capabilities beyond the lackluster AV-8 Harrier Jump Jet that the fleet has had to make do with for some time now.

The new recruits for the armed forces complete their basic training and move onto the advanced skills courses. There are talks within the Ministry of Defense to create a new arm of the special forces command to provide embedded air force personnel with the Army and Marines.