Strengthening vigilance in the waters surrounding the Diaoyu Islands, Japan will build five new large-scale patrol ships to patrol the surrounding waters
According to the Daily News of Japan on August 25th, in order to strengthen vigilance in the waters surrounding the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, the Japan Coast Guard will begin building five large patrol ships from 2024. Previously, there has been no construction of so many patrol ships. Two more drones will be added in 2025 to monitor maritime conditions. The above related funds have been included in the 2024 budget application.
According to reports, the Japanese government has decided to increase the initial budget of the Maritime Security Agency to 320 billion yen by 2027 in response to the tense situation in the surrounding waters, which is 1.4 times the initial budget for 2022. According to this policy, the total budget application for marine protection in 2024 will reach 275.9 billion yen, an increase of 13% from the initial budget for 2023, which is the highest in history.
The newly built large patrol ships have a total tonnage of 1500 tons and a quantity of 5, of which 4 are specifically responsible for the security of the Senkaku Islands. Currently, there are 71 large patrol ships deployed throughout Japan, and with the previously announced increase in the number of patrol ships, it is expected that by the end of 2027, the number of large patrol ships in Japan will reach 90.
The "Sea Guard" unmanned aerial vehicle, deployed starting from 2022, is based at the Yako Air Base of the Yako City Maritime Self Defense Force in Aomori Prefecture, covering Japan's territorial waters and exclusive economic zone. It is used to control foreign ships and rescue personnel.