Rise of the Red Sun

[mezsat2]

Tokyo is openly voicing its intention to re re-militarize to a minimum 2% of GDP. This could be viewed as insignificant by some, until one considers the economic power of Japan. This figure would place them 3rd behind only the US and China in defense spending.

Combined with vast shipyards and technological expertise, I would expect them to have the capability of exercising total naval supremacy in SE Asia by 2030 at the latest.

They are under the US nuclear umbrella, so nukes are of no real concern to them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSQKdpDnX2w

[Cult Icon]

Tokyo is openly voicing its intention to re re-militarize to a minimum 2% of GDP. This could be viewed as insignificant by some, until one considers the economic power of Japan. This figure would place them 3rd behind only the US and China in defense spending.

This is incorrect as Russia is spending 8-9% this year. (typically they spend 3%). IIRC they were no. 3 in 2020.

[mezsat2]

Tokyo is openly voicing its intention to re re-militarize to a minimum 2% of GDP. This could be viewed as insignificant by some, until one considers the economic power of Japan. This figure would place them 3rd behind only the US and China in defense spending.

This is incorrect as Russia is spending 8-9% this year. (typically they spend 3%). IIRC they were no. 3 in 2020.

Misunderstanding. I am talking about raw dollar expenditure, not percentage of GDP. Japan's GDP is more than
twice that of Russia. Russia is, of course, in an active war and any figures from there are highly variable and
largely offset by the dollar amount of losses in the war.

In other words, if you spend $10 on defense, but lose $5 of it in a war, the effective expenditure is halved. I'd
say that figure could be 60-70% for Russia at the moment.