The government is stepping up efforts to revise the 1995 Defense Program Outline, which sets guidelines for the buildup of the Self-Defense Forces. A revision is considered necessary in light of recent changes in the security environment surrounding Japan. Beyond adjusting to reality, though, it is essential that a new buildup plan does not depart from the basic norms of Japanese defense policy and the constitutional principles of peace.
The revision issue has been discussed since April at Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's advisory panel on security and defense capability. The Defense Agency, meanwhile, has been conducting its own research for three years now. Based on the results of these discussions and studies, the government plans to complete a new outline by the end of the year.
The aim of the planned revision is partly to update the traditional policy of defending the country against aggression by foreign military forces. It is also designed to deal with "new threats" to national security, such as weapons of mass destruction, ballistic missiles and terrorist attacks.