The U.S. Revolution in Military Affairs and Japan: The Case of Japan Acquiring the Joint Direct Attack Munition
Lieutenant Colonel Ryuichi Maruo
Japan Air Self-Defense Force
The revolution in military affairs (RMA) has been discussed since the 1980s in terms of its concept, effectiveness, and causal variables, but few studies have focused on alliances or Japan. This study examines the e relationship between the RMA and the change in Japan’s national security policy by focusing on the acquisition of the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) by the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) in the early 2000s as a case study to clarify why and how the U.S. RMA in such technologies affected Japan's defense policy.
The findings reveal that the U.S. RMA had a strong impact on Japan's defense policy and capabilities, ultimately leading Japan to adopt the JDAM in a significant departure from its status quo security doctrine. These findings contribute to the understanding of how RMAs transcend borders, particularly through the mechanism of security alliances. The cause and mechanism of the information technology driven RMA (IT-RMA) in the 1990s identified in this study are already beginning to take shape in today’s artificial intelligence driven RMA (AI-RMA).
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