The incoming government led by the Democratic Party of Japan will likely cut missile defense spending because it isn't effective in thwarting attacks from North Korea, a senior party official said.
"Missile defense is almost totally useless," said Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi, a Lower House lawmaker who served as the party's deputy defense spokesman prior to its Aug. 30 election victory. "Only one or two out of 100 are ever effective. Even in shooting down a normal bomber, the odds are maybe 20 percent or 30 percent," he said Thursday in an interview in Tokyo.
Reducing missile defense would come as North Korea, Japan's closest threat, boosts its nuclear arms and missile capability. Yamaguchi, the author of a book on the Japan-U.S. defense alliance, said trimming military expenditures is necessary to offset plans by Yukio Hatoyama, who will be voted in as prime minister next week, to increase social welfare spending and tuition aid.
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