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Ministry of Defense Stationing Official in Taiwan to Strengthen Preparedness Amid Contingency Concerns
It was revealed that the Ministry of Defense has stationed a serving official at the Taipei office of the “Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association,” which serves as a liaison with Taiwan. Japan and Taiwan do not have formal diplomatic relations, and until now, a retired Self-Defense Force officer has b... -
The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency Aims to Utilize Advanced Technology with Startup Companies
The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) and the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) held their first meeting with startup company representatives at the agency on September 6th, 2023, in order to explore the utilization of cutting-edge technology in the security field. A... -
Japan, UK, and Italy to Strengthen Cooperation in Cyber Defense
Japan, the UK, and Italy are working on the “Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP),” a joint development plan for the next-generation fighter jet. In line with this, Jim Hockenhull, commander of the British armed forces’ Strategic Command, stressed in an interview with a Japanese newspaper that thre... -
The government designates 9 research and development fields to strengthen defense capabilities
On August 25th, 2023, the government held the first meeting of the Council of Ministers concerned with strengthening comprehensive defense capabilities at the Prime Minister's Office. 9 fields of research and development that contribute to national defense were designated, and the policy of cross... -
Major Western defense companies to move the center of Asian Operations to Japan
Major Western defense companies are beginning to shift the center of their Asian operations to Japan. The major defense companies are shifting their focus to Japan because they see Japan as the most important position in the Asian defense market. Japan is strengthening its defense capabilities ba... -
The Defense Ministry to Accelerate Development of “Stand-off Electronic Warfare Aircraft”
The Ministry of Defense will accelerate the development of “stand-off electronic warfare (EW) aircraft.” The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) officially announced several projects related to the development in August. The stand-off electronic warfare aircraft is an aircraft t... -
JAXA to Launch “H2A” Rocket Carrying Lunar Probe
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. announced on July 11th, 2023, that they will launch the large-sized “H2A” Launch Vehicle No.47 on August 26th. The rocket will carry the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) and the X-Ray Imaging and Spectros... -
Japanese Government to Allow Export of Next-generation Fighter Jets to Third Countries
On August 23rd, 2023, the Japanese government told the ruling parties that it intends to allow direct exports to third countries of defense equipment that Japan develops jointly with other countries. This will allow Japan to export next-generation fighter jets that Japan is developing jointly wit... -
Ministry of Defense Holds First Regular Conferences with Research Institutes for "Dual-Use" Utilization
Japan's Ministry of Defense will establish for the first time a framework for regular conferences with universities and research institutions on the use of advanced technologies, targeting by the end of FY2023. The aim is to share the results of "dual-use" research with academia, which can be use... -
Defense Ministry Considers Mounting Missiles on C-2 Transporters to Improve “Standoff Defense Capabilities”
On August 6th, 2023, Japan’s Defense Ministry began considering mounting long-range missiles on C-2 transport aircrafts of the Air Self-Defense Force to improve its “standoff defense capabilities” that enable attacks against enemy troops and vessels from outside their range. The missiles are also... -
Japan and the U.S. agree to joint development of hypersonic weapon interceptor missiles
On August 18th, 2023, the U.S. President Biden welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to Camp David for a trilateral summit meeting. Prior to this meeting, the leaders of Japan and the U.S. agreed to begin joint development of GPI (Glide Phase Inte... -
Defense Ministry to Request Record 7.7 Trillion Yen Budget for FY 2024
The Defense Ministry plans to request a record 7,738.5 billion yen ($53.4 billion) in its fiscal 2024 budget estimates, which will be finalized at the end of August. This is almost 1 trillion yen ($6.9 billion) more than 6,821.9 billion yen ($47 billion) earmarked in the initial budget for fiscal... -
Japan and Saudi Arabia Held Defense Ministerial Meeting and Agreed to Strengthen Cooperation
On July 31st, 2023, Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada held a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman at the ministry in Tokyo for approximately one hour. This was the first face-to-face meeting between Japanese and Saudi Arabian Defense Ministers since Septem... -
Japan to Resume Discussions to Ease the Defense Equipment Exports
On July 25th, 2023,, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with Itsunori Onodera, chairperson of the Liberal Democratic Party’s research commission on security, and Shigeki Sato, who chairs Komeito’s foreign relations and national security committee at the Prime Minister’s Office. Kishida directed the... -
Japan Released Defense White Paper Saying the World “Enters a New Era of Crisis”
On July 28th, the Defense Ministry released “Japan’s defense white paper” for 2023. The report finalizes the official views of the Japanese government on its defense policy and global military situations. The 2023 report points out that the international community enters “a new era of crisis” in ...
