– Japan has started a significant rearmament. One of the things they prioritize the most is buying and developing missiles, says researcher Henrik Hiim. China’s growing military power and increased tension in the world are the topics when Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida receives Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in Tokyo. Kishida personally fronts a new Japanese security policy. Including the purchase of offensive weapons that Japan previously did not purchase. – We are talking about cruise missiles that can hit both sea targets and targets on land. Japan is developing several of its own missiles, but also buys from both the USA and Norway, says Hiim, who heads the Center for International Security, Institute for Defense Studies. Norwegian weapons Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace are among the group of Norwegian businesses that travel with Støre to Japan. The part of the Kongsberg group that makes and exports some of the world’s most advanced missiles. – Kongsberg signed a contract in 2019 to deliver the JSM, or Joint Strike Missile, to Japan. JSM is used in the F35 combat aircraft, which both Norway and Japan have purchased, says Eirik Lie, director of Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace. Unveiling of F35 fighter in 2019 in Japan. In the same year that Japan signed a missile contract with the Kongsberg Group. Photo: Reuters Breakthrough The sale was a breakthrough for the Kongsberg Group. Before this, Japan did not buy weapons directly from individual countries, but only through the defense cooperation it has with the United States. – This was one of the first times Japan bought defense material directly from another nation, and not via the Foreign Military Sales mechanism through the United States. – We cannot comment on the number or share details of the values. The total value of the deliveries to Japan is several billion kroner, says Eirik Lie. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre with Eirik Lie, director of Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace, on his right. Støre visited Kongsberg in January 2023. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB Now with Støre as a door opener in Tokyo, the Kongsberg Group hopes that Japan will take an interest in more Norwegian weapons. Among them the fastest and most long-range missile Norway has ever developed. The biggest arms race of our time Armament in Asia and the Pacific region is the biggest arms race of our time. – There is nothing that can compare with the armament we see from China. China, for example, has built the world’s largest navy in terms of number of vessels. The US is struggling mightily to keep up with shipbuilding, says Hiim. China’s growing military ambitions have changed the view of its own security in Japan. There are three conditions in particular that contribute to increased tension. That China reserves the right to reunite Taiwan with China if necessary by force China’s territorial claims at sea The threat from North Korea and the country’s nuclear weapons program North Korea creates unrest in the region, but China is the one challenging the balance of power in Asia. – China’s growing power is clearly the most important, says Hiim. China is using a stronger navy to put force behind claims to large areas of sea that neighboring countries see as theirs. China has border disputes at sea with Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre emphasizes that in a time of increased unrest, Japan is a stable democracy and a close partner in Asia, a country of growing geopolitical importance. – The challenging regional and global security situation, with the war in Ukraine, the Middle East and the tension around Taiwan, makes it important to have close security policy cooperation between Japan and like-minded countries. – Japan cooperates with NATO, and as a NATO member, Norway participates in this cooperation, says Støre to news. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a press briefing. Kishida has tied much of his political prestige to changing how he sees his role in the world. Photo: AP Henrik Hiim believes that people back home in Norway do not fully understand the dimensions of the rivalry between the US and China, and what it means for US priorities. – No, I think many people in Norway have not realized the extent of these changes. US leaders say clearly that China is their main challenge. The threat from Russia is priority number two. Russia’s power cannot match China’s, says Hiim. New Norwegian super missile The Kongsberg group belongs to the group of Norwegian players who are well informed about world politics and the opportunities it provides in Asia. – The JSM contract with Japan is a good starting point for being able to further strengthen defense materiel cooperation between Norway and Japan, says director Eirik Lie. The JSM missile is being tested in Norway. Photo: Air Force In Tokyo, the Kongsberg Group will now also be able to present its new super missile. It is called 3SM and will be the first supersonic missile made in Norway. Simply put, rockets that go faster than the speed of sound. Both China and Russia invest considerable resources in developing missiles in this category. – There is already great interest in the new missile project between Kongsberg, Norway and Germany, which was announced in November. The 3SM will be a long-range and very fast-moving complement to the NSM and JSM, and we imagine that many countries that currently have Kongsberg missiles will be interested. – Dialogue with potential customers will take place in parallel with the progress of the project, which is currently in its initial phase, says Eirik Lie. The new missile is scheduled to be fully developed in 2035. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre will contribute to more arms cooperation with Japan. – All countries have a responsibility to look after their own security when times change, including Japan. As a close and important security policy partner with NATO and Norway, it is natural and important that we also cooperate on weapons and other defense material. – We already have a well-developed collaboration with Japan on this, which I hope can be further developed in the future, says Støre. In violation of the constitution? In Japan, the big debate is whether missiles that can hit targets in other countries are self-defense weapons or offensive weapons. After the defeat in World War II, Japan was given a strictly pacifist constitution. It states that Japan will only use military force if attacked. This is now interpreted differently than before. – The Japanese government has stated that they do not need to sit still and wait if an attack is in the offing, and that a pre-emptive attack therefore does not violate the constitution, says Hiim.
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