Ministerial Council on the Strengthening of the Maritime Security System
December 24, 2021
[Provisional Translation]
On December 24, 2021, the Prime Minister held a meeting of the Ministerial Council on the Strengthening of the Maritime Security System at the Prime Minister’s Office.
At the meeting, the participants engaged in discussions on the status of the initiatives for strengthening the coast guard system.
Following the discussion, the Prime Minister said,
“After deciding the Policy on Strengthening the Maritime Security System in December 2016, the Government has engaged in strategic and intensive expansion and reinforcement of the coast guard system for the past five years, with the aim of ensuring the safety and security in the waters surrounding Japan.
As a result, nine cutting-edge large-scale patrol and other vessels and eight aircraft have been deployed to the frontline of maritime security to date.
However, the situation surrounding the waters around Japan, including the Senkaku Islands and the Yamato Bank, remains in an extremely severe condition, and we need to continue to strengthen our maritime security system.
To this end, we will utilize the FY2021 supplementary budget and the FY2022 initial budget to embark on newly building four large-scale patrol vessels and renewing and improving two aging helicopter-carrying patrol vessels, which is the largest reinforcement since FY2016.
In addition, we will introduce the first pilotless aircraft for the Japan Coast Guard and strengthen the information analysis system utilizing new technologies, in order to enhance our maritime surveillance capabilities.
Japan Coast Guard members on the frontline are performing missions in harsh environments at this very moment to protect the safety and security of the people. We believe it is important to thoroughly lay the foundations of their operations so that they can fulfill their duties properly.
I ask the Japan Coast Guard and other relevant ministries and agencies to continue to pool their efforts to do everything within their power to defend the safety of the seas of Japan.”