皇紀2686年：にっぽんの核保有国への道。 (3) Year 2686 of the Japanese Imperial Era: Japan’s Path to Becoming a Nuclear Power. (3)

皇紀2686年：にっぽんの核保有国への道。 (1+2)
Year 2686 of the Japanese Imperial Era: Japan’s Path to Becoming a Nuclear Power. (1+2)
https://art-culture.world/politics/japan-nuclear-power-1/
https://art-culture.world/politics/japan-nuclear-power-2/
の続き。

小泉防衛相、原潜保有「あらゆる選択肢を排除せず検討」　安保3文書改定で議論
2026/9/11
小泉進次郎防衛相は11日の記者会見で、原子力潜水艦の保有について、安全保障関連3文書の年内改定に向けた議論の中で「あらゆる選択肢を排除せずに検討する」と述べた。
原潜に関し、長時間の潜行が可能で、通常の潜水艦と比べて数倍の速力を持つと指摘し「乗組員の安全をより高いレベルで確保しつつ活動に従事することを可能にする」と説明した。一方、原子力機関が高価で、維持整備や運用に特殊な専門技術が必要になるとも述べた。
原潜保有を巡っては、日本維新の会が6月、安保3文書改定に向けた政府への提言で導入を求めている。米海軍当局者は今月9日、日本には原子力発電所があり、発電技術を保有しているとして肯定的な見方を示している。

https://www.sankei.com/article/20260911-KRKWCWZRDBMPPCY33YZCDZZLQM/

小泉防衛相、原潜保有「排除せず」
9/11(金)
　小泉進次郎防衛相は11日の記者会見で、原子力潜水艦の保有の是非について「安全保障関連3文書の改定の中であらゆる選択肢を排除せずに検討する」との考えを改めて強調した。

　「特定の結論ありきで進めるようなことはない」とも語った。

　小泉氏は原潜について、長時間の潜航が可能で、通常動力型と比べて数倍の速力で航行できるとして「乗組員の安全をより高いレベルで確保しつつ活動を可能にする」と述べた。一方、水中での静粛性に劣るとされる点や、原子力機関の維持整備や運用に特殊な専門技術が必要となることも指摘した。

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/6c2db824fe446f8df2973f4f2373210fd106164d　

Koizumi says Japan not ruling out nuclear subs, days after U.S. offers positive view

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has said that Japan is keeping all options on the table when it comes to discussions of Japan acquiring nuclear-powered submarines.
Sep 11, 2026
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Friday reiterated that Japan is not ruling out acquiring nuclear-powered submarines, days after a U.S. Navy official offered a positive assessment of the move.
“Regarding nuclear-powered submarines, we will proceed with our consideration of not ruling them out as an option,” Koizumi told a regular news conference. Tokyo is weighing acquiring such submarines in revisions to its three key security documents set to come by the year’s end.

Koizumi’s remarks came after an unidentified U.S. Navy official, citing Tokyo’s expertise in nuclear energy technology, told Japanese and South Korean media this week that a conversation on the issue was something that should take place with Japanese leaders.
A spokesperson with the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet confirmed the reports. The spokesperson said the official was asked if Japan should consider a nuclear-powered submarine and responded that “asset requirements should be driven by national security needs, and operational employment.”
Asked Friday about how the vessels might fit into Japan’s security strategy, the defense chief noted the pros and cons, saying that while nuclear-powered submarines are capable of extended patrols and are said to have several times the speed of conventionally powered submarines, they are less quiet underwater, expensive and require specialized expertise for maintenance, repair and operation.
Japan currently operates a fleet of 23 diesel-electric attack submarines, but has long avoided the more expensive and politically fraught option of nuclear-powered vessels.
Calls for Tokyo to acquire nuclear boats gained steam after an expert panel recommended in September last year that Tokyo develop vessels with “next-generation” power sources and vertical launching systems for long-range missiles. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party-Japan Innovation Party bloc effectively codified this push in their October coalition agreement.
Although neither the expert panel nor the coalition deal directly mentioned nuclear-powered submarines, Koizumi and other Japanese officials have repeatedly refused to rule out any options when it comes to nuclear submarines, as Tokyo looks to boost its defense capabilities.
Koizumi added to the speculation in November, when he touched on South Korea’s deal with the U.S. to secure nuclear vessels, noting that “all the surrounding countries have nuclear submarines.”
In June, the JIP also reignited the debate when it submitted a proposal to the government that called for the swift introduction of nuclear-powered submarines, citing China’s constant naval expansion into the Pacific.
The Chinese Navy is moving toward an all-nuclear-powered submarine fleet, U.S. naval officials say, a monumental shift that will give ammunition to proponents of Japan developing its own nuclear subs.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/09/11/japan/koizumi-japan-us-nuclear-submarines/