A Defense Oversight
Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2023 2:08 am
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."
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."