On Friday, the government has given green signal to a bill at a Cabinet meeting to revise the Defense Ministry Establishment Law for developing a new defense equipment agency. The envisaged defense equipment agency will be responsible for managing the procurement, export, research and development of defense equipment in an integrated fashion.
Moreover, the bill included a revision clarifying that Defense Ministry bureaucrats, sometimes informally referred to as “the suits,” and Self-Defense Forces personnel, sometimes described as “the uniforms,” rank as equals.
This change is targeted at bolstering the system in which ministry bureaucrats and SDF personnel jointly support the defense minister.
At present, the procurement and management of defense equipment are handled separately by relevant sections of the Defense Ministry. The agency will be set up as early as October, and will be staffed by about 1,800 officials. Its director general will be a vice minister-level official.
Moreover, the bill included a revision clarifying that Defense Ministry bureaucrats, sometimes informally referred to as “the suits,” and Self-Defense Forces personnel, sometimes described as “the uniforms,” rank as equals.
This change is targeted at bolstering the system in which ministry bureaucrats and SDF personnel jointly support the defense minister.
At present, the procurement and management of defense equipment are handled separately by relevant sections of the Defense Ministry. The agency will be set up as early as October, and will be staffed by about 1,800 officials. Its director general will be a vice minister-level official.