Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Sunday that Japan must review its troops' organisations and equipment drastically to cope with terrorism and missile threats."The world now faces new threats such as terrorism and ballistic missiles," Koizumi said in an address at a spectacular naval review off Yokosuka base, southwest of Tokyo, in his home constituency.
"Our Self-Defence Forces must review their current organisations and equipment drastically and boost efficiency to cope with these threats appropriately," he said onboard the 5,200-tonne vessel Shirane.
Sunday's naval review, held every three years, involved 8,500 personnel and 52 vessels, including Aegis destroyers and submarines, as well as 53 planes.
The latest review took place after Japan had unconfirmed information that North Korea fired short-range anti-ship missiles into the Sea of Japan (East Sea) last week.
Koizumi also said the government would make careful preparations for sending troops to Iraq to help rebuild the war-ravaged country.
"We will make thorough preparations while paying attention to the safety (of troops to be dispatched)," he said.
In July, Japan's parliament passed a controversial bill to deploy SDF troops to Iraq in what will be the first dispatch since World War II of Japanese military personnel to a country where fighting is continuing.
Japan's post-war constitution bans the use of force to settle international disputes.
Amid the security scare in Iraq, however, Japan has yet to decide when to send troops there.
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