In its budget request for fiscal year 2026, the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MOD) has earmarked funds for the construction of a new multifunctional defense base in the city of Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture.
The planned location for the base is the site of the former Imperial Japanese Navy shipyard, where the battleship “Yamato” was built between 1937 and 1941, as well as the site of a former plant of the steel manufacturer Nippon Steel, which was shut down in 2023.
A detailed proposal for the land use of the site was submitted in April of this year. Following agreement on fundamental issues in July, the MOD is currently negotiating the purchase of the site with Nippon Steel. Furthermore, a “Committee to Promote the Development of a Multifunctional Defense Base” has been established to deal with local coordination, land acquisition and attracting private investors.
Initial investments totaling 600 million yen (around 3.5 million euros) are planned for construction in the fiscal year. Further – significantly higher – investments are expected in the coming years.
According to the MOD’s plans, the base site will be divided into three areas: an area for the maintenance, repair and manufacture of equipment, an area for disaster control and troop activities and a port area.
Private companies are to be set up in the equipment, repair and manufacturing sector and facilities for the production and maintenance of unmanned aerial vehicles are to be built. Research facilities of the Japanese Defense Equipment Agency are also to be established here, where start-up companies will also be active.
The area for civil protection and troop activities will include administrative buildings, material storage, fuel tanks for ships, sports fields, areas for future use as well as maintenance and repair facilities for ship equipment. It will also include ammunition depots, information and communication facilities including those for satellite communication with associated buildings and a disaster control base with storage facilities for disaster relief supplies and a helipad.
For the port function area, the construction of berths is planned that are also suitable for large ships in view of future expanded requirements.
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