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.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.