Japan's new National Defense Program Outline has three major objectives: dealing with "new threats" such as terrorism, introducing a missile defense system and participating in "international peace cooperation activities."
The outline reflects a drastic change in the global security environment since the end of the Cold War -- particularly since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which illuminated new threats from nonstate entities.
The policy plan aims to build an "effective defense force that is multifunctional and flexible." To this end, it calls for a reorganization of the Self-Defense Forces and a strategic partnership between Japan and the United States, opening the way for new SDF deployments abroad.