Japan’s Defense Ministry has secured funding to build two new Aegis destroyers, the country’s defense minister announced Tuesday.
In a press conference, Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said he obtained approval for the funding following a Tuesday meeting with Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki to discuss the budget. Japan plans to begin the construction of the two destroyers, known as the Aegis System Equipped Vessels (ASEV), in Fiscal Year 2024 and FY 2025, respectively, with commissionings in 2027 and 2028. Japan will spend 373.1 billion yen, or $2.6 billion, in FY 2024 funding for the destroyers. That amount is a slight reduction from the 379.7 billion yen, or $2.64 billion, that the Ministry sought in its August FY 2024 budget request.