航空機民間転用 防衛基盤維持へ着実に進めよ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Aug. 10, 2010)
Japan could better exploit its defense technology
航空機民間転用　防衛基盤維持へ着実に進めよ（8月8日付・読売社説）

Transfers of military technology--on a limited scale--could be an effective way to maintain the nation's vital defense technology while also supporting defense-related companies.
　日本に欠かせない防衛技術と関連企業を維持していくうえで有効な手法と言えよう。

The Defense Ministry is studying a plan to transfer aircraft it developed to private use. The plan includes converting the Maritime Self-Defense Force's US-2 search-and-rescue seaplane to a firefighting flying boat and also converting the XC-2 next-generation transport plane now being developed by the Air Self-Defense Force to a large civilian cargo airplane.
　防衛省が、自ら開発した自衛隊機の民間転用を検討している。海上自衛隊の救難飛行艇ＵＳ２は消防飛行艇などに、航空自衛隊が開発中の次期輸送機ＸＣ２は大型貨物機にそれぞれ転用する構想だ。

The transfer of military technology to civilian use is unprecedented in this country. But search-and-rescue and transport planes are not really armaments in the first place. Adapting them for civilian use would have no effect on Japan's ideal as a "pacifist nation."
　民間転用は前例がないが、救難機や輸送機はそもそも武器ではない。民間機に転用しても、日本が大切にする「平和国家」の理念には何の影響もあるまい。

The government would be able to recoup some of its development costs by collecting usage fees from private companies. The procurement costs for Self-Defense Forces planes could also be reduced through the efficiencies of mass production. Manufacturers, for their part, could expect certain levels of earnings because the global demand for firefighting flying boats and cargo airplanes is large.
　政府は、企業から利用料を受け取り、開発費の一部を回収できる。量産効果によって自衛隊機の調達費も縮減できる。世界的に消防飛行艇や貨物機の需要は大きく、企業も一定の収益を期待できる。

Widespread benefits

Transfer of SDF technology to private use would benefit both the private and public sectors. The practice should have been promoted much earlier.
　民間転用は、官民双方にメリットがある。もっと早く取り組めば良かったのではないか。

Recent years saw an increasing number of companies withdraw from the military equipment industry due to the continued decrease in defense budgets. The loss of the high-level engineers and specialized manufacturers that are indispensable for the development, production and improvement of such equipment undermines the bedrock of national security.
　近年、防衛予算の減少傾向が続く中、この分野から撤退する企業が増えている。装備の開発・生産・整備に不可欠な専門企業や高度な技術者がいなくなることは、国の安全保障の根幹にかかわる。

But at the same time, the security environment surrounding Japan has become grimmer. Under such circumstances, it is essential to maintain a foundation for defense technology even while making more efficient use of defense budgets.
　日本の安全保障環境は逆に、厳しさを増している。中長期的な視点で、防衛技術基盤の維持と、防衛予算の一層の効率化を両立させていく必要がある。

In line with the revision of the National Defense Program Guidelines scheduled within this year, it is important to make a drastic review of the arms export ban.
　年内に予定される「防衛計画の大綱」の改定作業に合わせて、武器輸出３原則の見直しにも本格的に取り組むことが重要だ。

Regarding military equipment that entails huge development costs, such as the F-35 next-generation fighter jet candidate, joint development involving two or more countries is a global trend. Japan cannot take part in such multinational projects because its principles only allow participation in such projects to be undertaken with the United States.
　次期戦闘機（ＦＸ）の候補Ｆ３５のように巨額の開発費を要する装備品は、複数の国による共同開発が国際的潮流だが、日本は参加できない。米国以外の国との共同開発が認められていないからだ。

Review export ban principle

Japan's ban on arms exports applies to almost all nations other than the United States. The government must study limiting the ban to countries involved in international conflicts and those supporting terrorism. We suggest that Japan be at least permitted to undertake joint development of military weapons with ordinary countries and that a system be introduced to screen arms exports on a case-by-case basis.
　現在は、米国以外のほとんどの国に及ぶ武器の禁輸を、紛争当事国やテロ支援国などに限定することを検討すべきだ。最低でも、一般の国との武器の共同開発を認め、武器輸出を個別に審査する方式を導入してはどうか。

Allowing the export of purely defensive materiel, such as mine detectors and bulletproof vests, would not harm Japan's image as a pacifist nation.
　地雷探知機、防弾チョッキなど防御的武器を禁輸の対象外としても、日本の「平和国家」のイメージが損なわれることはない。

Both the Democratic Party of Japan and the Liberal Democratic Party called for transfers of military equipment to private use in their campaign platforms for the House of Councillors election in July. There could be room for cooperation beyond the framework of ruling and opposition parties on the issue of reexamining the export ban.
　民主、自民両党はそろって参院選公約に防衛装備品の民間転用を掲げた。武器輸出３原則の見直しでも、与野党の枠を超えて協調する余地があるのではないか。

In the previous Cabinet under former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa expressed positive thoughts about revising the arms export ban. But the review could not take any concrete shape due to opposition from the Social Democratic Party, which was then a member of the ruling coalition.
　鳩山前内閣では、北沢防衛相が３原則見直しに前向きな考えを示したが、与党の社民党などが反対し、具体化しなかった。

Now that the SDP has defected from the coalition government, the political barriers to transfers of military technology appear to have been lowered drastically.
社民党の連立離脱で、政治的なハードルはかなり低くなったはずだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 8, 2010)
（2010年8月8日01時48分 読売新聞）