Japan to boost defence budget, but cut aircraft orders

Japan has proposed making a 2.2% increase to its defence budget for fiscal year 2009, but its ¥4.8 trillion ($29.5 billion) allocation contains just ¥189.1 billion to procure, repair and upgrade aircraft: a fall of 1.2%.

Tokyo's planned purchase of 24 new aircraft will also represent a decrease of two airframes against FY2008.

Details of the budget make particularly bad reading for Japan's air force, which will receive no new aircraft under the FY2009 budget.

This is largely as a result of development problems with its Kawasaki Heavy Industries C-X transport, and the postponed launch of its F-X fighter contest.


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