Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution contains “No war” clause. It came into effect on May 3, 1947, immediately after World War II. The text of the article of the Japanese Government formally renounce war as a right of sovereignty and the refuses to settle disputes using military force.
Constitutional limitations
Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution prohibits Japan from establishing a military or solving international conflicts through violence.
Japan's war-renouncing stance
Under Article 9 of Japan's post-war constitution, the country pledged to “forever renounce war” after it was defeated in World War Two. As such, its defense force is not allowed to wage war except to defend the country.
The GFP index denotes Japan as a Top 10 world power. For 2023, Japan is ranked 8 of 145 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. The nation holds a PwrIndx* score of 0.1711 (a score of 0.0000 is considered 'perfect'). This entry last reviewed on 01/09/2023.
Japan's World War II Aftermath
Then Japan's old regime was replaced with a democratic government and its Imperial Army and Navy were dissolved. Although Japan is not allowed to have a military, Japan does invest in Self-Defense Forces (SDF).
The United States pledged to defend Japan, which adopted a pacifist constitution, in exchange for maintaining a large military presence in the country. There are more than eighty U.S. military facilities in Japan. More U.S. service members are permanently stationed in Japan than in any other foreign country.
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) fleet is made up of 38 commissioned warships and 6 non-commissioned as of December 2022. The main strength is the eight frigates and three destroyers of the surface combatant force: eight Anzac class frigates and three Hobart class destroyers.
The ADF has a strength of just over 85,000 full-time personnel and active reservists and is supported by the Department of Defence and several other civilian agencies. During the first decades of the 20th century, the Australian Government established the armed services as separate organisations.
Japan does not possess any programs for the development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), but it is the only non-nuclear weapon state in possession of a full nuclear fuel cycle and has advanced WMD-relevant industries.
If a nation plans to attack Japan, the attacker must be prepared to confront not only the defense capability of the Self-Defense Forces (SDF), but also the overwhelming military strength of the United States, due to the U.S. obligation to defend Japan in the event of an armed attack.
The two countries ended their formal state of war with the Soviet–Japanese Joint Declaration of 1956, but as of 2022 have not resolved this territorial dispute over ownership of the Kurils.
Japan's security environment is becoming even severer with the dramatic shift in the global power balance, the emergence of new threats such as terrorism and cyber attacks, and the severe security environment in the Asia-Pacific region. Such threats easily cross national borders.
The Japanese armed forces enjoy a special position that gives them practical control of the government. Japan is located at the center of the rich Asiatic-Pacific area and had the strongest and most successful army and navy in Asia.
Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution contains “No war” clause. It came into effect on May 3, 1947, immediately after World War II. The text of the article of the Japanese Government formally renounce war as a right of sovereignty and the refuses to settle disputes using military force.
Australia does not possess any nuclear weapons and is not seeking to become a nuclear weapon state. Australia's core obligations as a non-nuclear-weapon state are set out in the NPT.
Missile Defense (MD)
Japan has steadily built up its own defense system against ballistic missile attacks, by such means as installing ballistic missile defense capability in the Aegis destroyers and deploying the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3).
In theory, Japan could develop a small atomic arsenal in as little as a year or two. It would need to produce weapons-grade plutonium, a process that would most likely require repurposing civil reactors.
Australia's military is placed 21st on a global index that has ranked 136 countries on the basis of their global military powers.
The Royal Australian Navy's newest and most advanced warship — HMAS Brisbane — boasts state-of-the-art defence weaponry including long-range missiles, torpedoes, and naval guns. The vessel is designed to combat threats in the air, on land and underwater within a 150 kilometre radius.
“The Hobart Class are the most capable and lethal warships Australia has ever built, increasing our interoperability with the United States and allowing us to work even closer with our allies and partners,” Minister Reynolds said.
Because of their finite capacity, they can't carry a full complement of helicopters, and amphibious troops with their vehicles and equipment, and simultaneously deploy a useful number of STOVL aircraft and additional support aircraft.