On March 15, Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior partner, Komeito, agreed to relax the country’s strict defense export rules, paving the way for Tokyo to allow the international sale of the next-generation fighter jets being co-developed with the United Kingdom and Italy. In the current Japanese Diet, the LDP-led coalition government … Read more
To “achieve the most effective coordination” on co-developing next-generation fighters, Japan, Britain, and Italy have agreed to establish a new international body to expedite and oversee the process, based on a treaty signed by their respective defense ministers on December 14, 2023. The trilateral scheme aims to enhance the “national security” and “international influence” of … Read more
There is a growing debate today in Japan over whether the nation’s planned 43 trillion yen ($285 billion) limit for defense spending over the five years through fiscal year 2027 should be reviewed, amid a weaker yen and recent price surges. The person who sparked this debate is Sakakibara Sadayuki, former chairman of the Japan … Read more
On January 25, the White House announced an upcoming state visit by Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and his wife Yuko Kishida on April 10, 2024. During the visit, the two leaders are expected to discuss ways in which the United States and Japan will continue to deepen partnership to continue to advance the two … Read more
On December 14 in Tokyo, the defense ministers of Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy signed an epoch-making international treaty on the establishment of a joint organization to develop their new sixth-generation fighter jet. In a joint leaders’ statement in December 2022, the three countries announced their intention to jointly pursue development of a next-generation … Read more
Japan’s biggest defense company, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), has outlined plans for future growth through development investment in new major national defense projects, including standoff missiles and a joint next-generation fighter program with Britain and Italy. In a rare move, on November 22, MHI held a defense business briefing session at its Tokyo headquarters, inviting … Read more
Advertisement The biennial Defense and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition was held in London from September 12 to 15, with over 2,800 defense-related companies exhibiting. Eight Japanese companies, including leading manufacturers such as Fujitsu and NEC, participated for the first time since 2017, along with representatives from Japan’s Ministry of Defense. They showcased cutting-edge technologies … Read more
A concept model of Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ new Surface-to-Ship Missile on display at the KHI booth at DSEI Japan 2023 in March. Credit: Takahashi Kosuke Advertisement On June 6, Japan’s Defense Ministry announced that it has signed four contracts worth about 314.7 billion yen ($2.3 billion) with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Kawasaki Heavy Industries … Read more