Page 17 - 2018 Defense White Paper

[ Chart 1-1 ] Military Strengths of the Four Major Powers Surrounding the Korean Peninsula
Chapter 1
Russia
USD 45.6 bn
Defense Budget
900,000
No. of Troops
* Nuclear capability
enhancement, 1,220
Fighters
development of
stealth fighters and
strategic missiles, 1
Aircraft Carrier
modernization of
conventional 62
weapons Submarines
Japan USD 460bn
Defense Budget
247,000
China USD 150.5bn No. of Troops
Defense Budget
* Procurement of more
2,035,000 F-35s, new warning Fighters 332
aircraft, Global Hawks,
No. of Troops
Aegis destroyers, and
* Acquisition of new submarines; 47
strategic missiles, 1,999 Aircraft Carrier
Fighters conversion of Izumo
stealth fighters, destroyers to carry
and aircraft aircraft 19
carriers; Aircraft Carrier 1 Submarines
strengthening of
cyber warfare and 62
space forces Submarines
United
States Defense Budget USD 717.0bn
1,348,000
* Nuclear capability No. of Troops
enhancement and
modernization, 2,184
Fighters
development of long-
distance strategic 11
bombers, strengthening Aircraft Carrier
of missile defense,
cyber warfare and space 68
forces Submarines
The Military Balance 2018
* Sources: (International Institute for Strategic Studies, February 2018) and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019.
On the military front, the United States is establishing an optimized Joint Forces Support
System by incorporating new operational requirements into the Joint Concept for Access and
Maneuver in the Global Commons (JAM-GC). It is also building multilayered missile defenses
and modernizing the nuclear triad consisting of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs),
Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs), and strategic bombers. The United States
has deployed advanced naval and air forces in the Asia-Pacif ic region such as stealth fighters

including the F-22 and the F-35, the P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, Virginia-class
nuclear submarines, unmanned undersea vehicles, and strategic bombers.
In August 2018, President Trump signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act

(NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019, which passed Congress with bipartisan support at both the
House of Representatives and the Senate. This allows an increase in the defense budget, which
has grown every year since 2016, and enables stable funding for the U.S. pursuit of “peace

Section 2 Security Environment of Northeast Asia 15