Study On Japanese Defense Industry Model "Containing War Needs In Civil Production

With the constant growth of Japan’s military power, the development of Japan’s military industry enterprises and the regional security concerns it arises are attracting increasing attention of the international society. Japanese military enterprises have unique manufacturing and developing pattern. Since World War Ⅱ, the major military manufacturers,leaded by Mitsubishi Heavy Industry, produced huge amounts of weapons and equipment. Thus, MHI is considered to be the giant of military industry. Meanwhile, ranking 1st among Japanese heavy machinery manufacturers, MHI has been holding a considerable civil market share in Japan, many of whose civilian products are at a world-leading level. Represented by MHI, Japanese military industry developed the unique’ Civil-military Integration’ developing mode. As a result, the transform ability of dual-use technology gets continuously improved.Taking the ’Civil-military Integration’ developing mode of Japanese military industry as subject, this paper reveals the formation of the Japanese military industry’s production pattern and systematically analyzes its threat. The main contents of this paper goes as follows:The Introduction, which explain the purpose and significance of this study;The 2nd chapter, putting Japanese military industry back to WWⅡ, explains the link between the Japanese military industry and the combat capability of Japanese army. During WWⅡ, with its powerful military productivity and the constant investment to military industry from the national finance, Japan boosted the development of its military industry, which enabled its further military expansion. The defeat of Japan is also connected with the recession of its military industry. Though Japanese military manufacturers was dismembered after the defeat, Japan transferred its military productivity to the civil enterprises with the ’Civil-military Integration’ mode, and later established the 10 major military industry enterprises of the Japanese Rearmament;The 3rd chapter demonstrates the potential threat of the’Civil-military Integration’ mode through the military industry’s dependence to the demand of the army and the localized production scale of military production. By the contrast of Japanese military enterprises and world top 10 military enterprises from the angle of their dependency to military’s demand, it is found that Japan’s potential military productivity is hidden in the civil industry. Once turned into war footing, the civilian assembly lines will be turned into military ones, releasing an incredible power. Though its localization is always at a loss, Japan still stick to it so that once in war again, domestic weapon production will be guaranteed.The 4th chapter focuses on MHI’s transformation ability between military and civilian production. MHI produced massive amount of warships and warplanes, including the famous A5M/"Type 96 carrier-based fighter" and A6M "zero’/’Type 0 carrier-based fighter". MHI was a typical enterprise with’Civil-military Integration’ mode. In the transformation between military and civil department, MHI usually combines the technologies of both side, so that the technologies can be applied to both military products and the civilian ones. Today’s Japanese military industry mode is not peaceful. Once turn into war foot, it will produce much more powerful weapon than the "Mitsubishi zero".Finally, through the systematical analyzing towards the influence’Civil-military Integration’mode has on Japan’s military industry and the threat arose by the transformation between military and civilian industry, this paper points out the fact that Japan is a potential military superpower and the real threat to the Asia Pacific Region.