The Japanese Ministry of Defense has requested $148 million in the fiscal 2024 budget for 130 ammunition depots.
They will be in addition to about 1,400 facilities already operational throughout the country, Stars and Stripes reported, citing a ministry spokesman.
“The National Defense Strategy and Defense Buildup Program calls for possession of necessary ammunition as early as possible since there is a need to secure and maintain sufficient war-fighting capabilities,” the outlet quoted the spokesperson as saying.
To Be Built Across Country
The storage depots will be built on military land, including at Camp Ebino in Miyazaki prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu and five depots at the Okinawa Training Area.
In addition, the ministry is planning to acquire land for three depots at bases in Kagoshima and Kyushu and is surveying six facilities on the northern island of Hokkaido.
Tokyo’s Missile Arsenal Expansion
The type of ammunition to be stored at the facilities has yet to be specified.
The initiative comes as Tokyo is planning to enhance its counter-strike capability, including the acquisition of long-range missiles such as American Tomahawks.
Japan also announced its largest-ever budget this year — $53 billion — amid an expanding Chinese military capability and North Korean missile threats.
