防衛装備庁、大幅増員要求へ　最先端技術の開発強化―２２年度予算

　防衛省は最先端技術の研究開発などを強化するため、２０２２年度予算概算要求で防衛装備庁の大幅な増員を求める方針を固めた。事務官や技官、自衛官を合わせて１８２０人の定員に対し、１００人以上を増やす方向。研究開発費は４割増の３０００億円程度とする。複数の政府関係者が２０日、明らかにした。
　装備庁の定員は１５年１０月に発足した時点で１７８０人（事務官・技官１３７３人、自衛官４０７人）。その後徐々に増え、現在の内訳は事務官・技官が１４１４人、自衛官が４０６人となっている。２３年度以降も増員を検討する考えだ。（2021/08/20-19:18）

Japan's Defense Ministry plans to increase the number of staff at its Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency in order to enhance research and development for cutting-edge technologies, informed sources said Friday.
   The plan to increase the number of ATLA staff by over 100 from 1,820 at present will be included in the ministry's budget request for fiscal 2022, which starts next April.
   The ATLA had a staff of 1,780 when it was established in October 2015. Currently, it has 1,414 administrative workers and engineers and 406 Self-Defense Forces members. The ministry plans to continue to increase the number of ATLA staff in fiscal 2023 and beyond.
   The ministry will also seek about 300 billion yen for research and development expenditures, up from 142 billion yen in fiscal 2015 and 211.6 billion yen in fiscal 2021.
   The ministry's plan comes as Japan lags far behind the United States, China and Russia in terms of labor and budget for defense technology development.