News Report: Chinese Checkers? Japan and India Continue to Strengthen Military Ties

The long-standing defense partnership between India and Japan has been further bolstered, with the two nations announcing more bilateral combat exercises, more equipment and technology exchanges, and more coordinated efforts to check the rapidly expanding geopolitical profile of their mutual rival, China.

During a meeting between Indian Defense Minister Arun Jaitley and his Japanese counterpart Itsunori Onodera, the two nations agreed to expand their bilateral defense relationship, particularly in the fields of anti-submarine warfare and counter-terrorist operations.

"The ministers exchanged views and ideas with the aim to further strengthen defense and security cooperation under the framework of the 'Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership,'" read a joint statement issued by the Indian and Japanese Ministries of Defense.

Jaitley agreed to include anti-submarine exercises involving the Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft during the 2018 Malabar naval exercises, which will also involve the United States. The exercises have been held annually since 2002, with Japan becoming the third permanent partner in the drills in 2015.

News Story: Japan's R&D misfire for defense reform

Kawasaki C-2 Cargo Aircraft (File Photo)

By: Paul Kallender-Umezu 

TOKYO — Since the October 2015 establishment of the 1,800-strong Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency, Japan’s Ministry of Defense has been attempting to streamline its acquisition process and facilitate private-sector research and development. Results have been mixed.

In doing so, the MoD launched a new program to funnel more spending to Japanese scientists. The same year, ¥300 million (U.S. $2.7 million) was budgeted for the program. That doubled to ¥600 million (U.S. $5.4 million) in fiscal year 2016 and is set to rise to ¥11 billion (U.S. $98 million) in fiscal year 2017 as the MoD tries to build a research cadre in Japan’s academic sector that will benefit defense procurement later.

The establishment of the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency, or ATLA, came on top of an April 2014 relaxation of defense export rules allowing cases that will contribute to global peace and serve Japan’s security interests, leading to the July 2014 sale of Patriot Advanced Capability-2 missile interceptors to the United States. ATLA’s new job is to try to better connect disparate R&D efforts to produce new outputs.

“We understand that China is very active, and we always want to stay ahead and secure technological superiority, and we are using this fund more actively to stimulate research in industry and academia,” said Takahiro Yoshida, director of ATLA’s Aircraft Project Management division.

Backers of the new strategy are banking ability or likelihood of success based on leveraging a series of Japanese civil technologies such as robotics, AI and machine learning and advanced materials, said Steven Ganyard, president of Avascent Global Advisors.

“The rise of a belligerent China and [North Korea] means that Japan can no longer afford a defense procurement process divorced from reality. Japan builds … products like C-2, P-1 and F-2 when they could be buying the best in the world for a fraction of the price. No other country in the world operates like this,” he said.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Japan looks to US to partner on used aircraft resale

TC-90 KingAir (Image: Wiki Commons)

By: Jill Aitoro

LE BOURGET, France — As part of Japan’s strategy to expand defense exports, it’s looking to the United States to take part in a cooperation for the resale of used aircraft to Southeast Asia. 

The prospect follows initial success from Japan’s decision to lease TC-90 aircraft to the Philippines to conduct maritime patrols, which were reportedly used during the recent battle against Islamic State militants. Overseeing that program was Takahiro Yoshida, director of the Aircraft Project Management division in the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency at the Japanese Ministry of Defense, who estimated eight visits to the Philippines in the process. 

“We want to further explore opportunities for providing used aircraft to ASEAN countries with package support. I cannot name the exact countries, but we have a dialogue with several and want to explore possibilities of trilateral cooperation with the U.S., Japan and ASEAN countries,” Yoshida said in an exclusive interview with Defense News at Paris Air Show. “TC-90s are gone — already sold. So we’re now exploring other components from used helicopters and other used aircraft.” 

(ASEAN, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is an international organization made up of regional countries meant for community-building.)

That is one of many strategies to build a defense manufacturing market, perhaps outshined by the current state of Japan’s fighter program. Yoshida said Japan is “having discussions with many countries” as the time quickly approaches for deciding how it will replace the F-2 fighters: through an international buy, an indigenous development,or jointly partnering with other countries. 

Japan’s F-2s are going to retire after the mid-2030s. The country plans to decide by next summer how it will proceed for replacing the fleet. And China is factoring into the decision. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Business jet customization could be key as Singapore firms up maritime patrol requirement

CGI 0f the SAAB Swordfish MPA

By: Mike Yeo

SINGAPORE — Maritime Patrol Aircraft, or MPA, based on business jet platforms have taken prominence at the IMDEX Asia maritime and defense exhibition in Singapore, with manufacturers touting capability at lower cost, along with willingness to customize their solutions to customer requirements as their main selling points. 

Saab and IAI devoted significant amounts of floor space at their IMDEX Asia booths to their products, the Swordfish and EL/I-3360, respectively, with both emphasizing their willingness to customize and fine-tune their aircraft according to customer requirements. 

Saab recently announced a significant increase in the stores carrying capacity of the Swordfish, with the Bombardier Global Express 6000 business jet it is based on now being cleared to carry up to four RBS-15 anti-ship missiles or six lightweight torpedoes on four external hard points. 

It also says that the high level of commonality between the Swordfish and the Globaleye airborne early warning and control aircraft it is currently building for the United Arab Emirates means that development work on the Swordfish is already 70 percent complete. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: (NZ) Defence Force mystified by report it has started negotiations with Japan over aircraft order

Kawasaki P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft

TOM PULLAR-STRECKER

The Defence Force has shot down a Japanese report that Japan and United States company Boeing are already in a "one-on-one fight" to supply maritime patrol aircraft worth more than $1 billion to the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

The Government confirmed in November that it planned to replace its fleet of six Orion maritime patrol aircraft, five Hercules transporters and two Boeing 757s within about the next 10 years. 

The Nikkei Asian Review reported New Zealand would make a decision on replacement aircraft as "early as this [northern] summer".

Kawasaki C-2 Cargo AirCraft

Representatives from the Japanese Defence Ministry and Kawasaki Heavy Industries visited Wellington last week to negotiate the sale of Kawasaki's P-1 patrol aircraft and C-2 transporters in what would be Japan's biggest-ever arms export deal, it said.

But a Defence Force spokesman said it had not received such a visit and it was "not involved in any negotiations with the Japanese Government or Kawasaki Heavy Industries". He also indicated there would be no decision on replacement aircraft this year.

Read the full story at Stuff

News Story: Japan in talks with New Zealand for defense aircraft

Kawasaki P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft

Tokyo aiming for its first major arms contract

TOKYO -- Japan is in negotiations with New Zealand to export the Self-Defense Forces' patrol and transport aircraft, in hopes of beating out U.S. and European competition to score its first large-scale arms contract.

The deal will also involve the maintenance of the planes, and is potentially worth billions of dollars. Tokyo in September provided unclassified information on the P-1 maritime patrol plane and C-2 transporter, both developed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, in response to Wellington's requests.

Kawasaki C-2 Cargo Aircraft

Representatives from Japan's defense ministry and Kawasaki Heavy are in New Zealand for negotiations. Japan could come up with a proposal in the first half of 2017 concerning the price, production process and maintenance of the planes. It will also consider jointly producing certain parts with New Zealand.

New Zealand will choose the winning bid as early as this summer out of a pool including American and European proposals. The Japanese government will also negotiate a treaty with New Zealand to allow the transfer of defense equipment and technology, a prerequisite to the potential deal.

Read the full story at Nikkei

News Story: Contractors Hope for Movement in Japanese Defense Market

ATD-X Shinshin Stealth Fighter, development Prototype for the F-3

By: Paul Kallender-Umezu

TOKYO — Several nascent procurement plans offer some hope of increased revenues for Japan’s top military contractors, but the overall picture could remain business as usual without either a radical increase in defense spending post-2018, when Japan will release its new Mid-Term Defense Program (MTDP), or a major breakthrough in overseas weapons sales.

Japan’s defense budget request, unveiled in late August, requests 5.17 trillion yen ($50.6 billion), an increase of 2.3 percent over the current amount, and will include 100 billion yen ($980 million) to upgrade PAC-3 missile batteries to PAC-3 MSE and account for rising F-35 costs, according to local media reports.

But a radical rise in the budget or overseas sales success looks unlikely unless the prospect of an actual armed conflict with China emerges, or Japanese contractors and the Japanese defense establishment works much harder to sell internationally, according to analysts.

Japan’s defense procurement is governed by MTDPs that decide exactly how many and what type of weapon systems and programs will be required over a five-year period. Equipment is then bought by the Self-Defense Forces in small, annual lots. While the self-contained system provides a stable annual income for five years, it leaves little room or incentive for major contractors such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Mitsubishi Electric Corp., NEC Corp., Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI), IHI Ltd. or Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. to invest in major new weapon platforms, and it leaves them inexperienced in international contract bidding. 

A case in point is this year’s loss to French shipbuilder DCNS by an MHI and KHI-led consortium to convince the Royal Australian Navy to purchase 12 advanced Soryu-class submarines in a deal worth up to $40 billion, despite the vaunted stealth superiority of the Japanese submarines, and their advanced propulsion systems.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Japan, Thailand eyeing arms deal

Kawasaki P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft

TOKYO -- Japan and Thailand are looking into a deal that would essentially make them limited defense partners.

Tokyo is considering a contract that would allow transfers of defense equipment to Thailand and call for technological cooperation with the country, people familiar with the matter said Thursday.

Thailand is interested in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force's P-1 patrol aircraft and US-2 large amphibious rescue aircraft.

Japan wants to get between Beijing and Thailand's military government, and the cooperation deal could serve as an effective wedge.

Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani on Tuesday will meet Prawit Wongsuwan, Thailand's deputy prime minister and defense minister, in Bangkok to discuss the defense equipment deal.

Read the full story at Nikkei

Interview: Adm. Tomohisa Takei, Chief of Staff, Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force

DDH183 Izumo Helicopter Carrier/Destroyer

Christopher P. Cavas

Mindful of the past, Japan straddles the lanes of armed deterrence, staunchly supporting the US while striving to avoid an aggressive stance. But in an increasingly dangerous neighborhood, where China challenges Japan in the Senkaku Islands, North Korea is constantly rattling nerves and a resurgent Russia remains a question mark, the Japanese military is clearly on a heightened state of alert.

Japan continues to steadily modernize its naval and military forces. The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) is fielding two new 24,000-ton helicopter-carrying destroyers and building up its Aegis ballistic missile defense fleet. Soryu-class submarines with advanced propulsion are being delivered annually, and new Kawasaki P-1 aircraft are replacing older US-built P-3C Orions in the maritime surveillance role.

Takei spoke with Defense News in February at his headquarters in Tokyo. He spoke both in English and through a translator.

How do you characterize your relationship with the American Navy?

The relationship between the US Navy — especially the Seventh Fleet — and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force is a core for the Japan-US alliance and also the core of the peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. The good relationship between the US Navy and JMSDF could become a basis for the further maritime relationship, for example US-Japan-Australia, US-Japan-India, US-Japan-South Korea as well.

So I would like to keep and enhance the relationship with the US Navy. In April last year, the Japan-US agreement for defense cooperation was revised, improving our peacetime cooperation and enhancing our deterrence capability. The cooperation with the US military, including the US Marine Corps and especially the US Navy — which is the core of the US-Japan alliance — is very indispensable for Japan to ensure peace and stability in this region. This close cooperation between the JMSDF and the US Navy is created by interaction over the last 60 years.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

Editorial: Japan Approves Record Defense Budget

By Franz-Stefan Gady

Japanese defense spending will increase 1.5 percent during the next fiscal year.

The cabinet of Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved a record 5.05 trillion yen ($41.4 billion) defense budget for fiscal year 2016/2017 and slightly below the 5.09 trillion yen requested by Japan’s Ministry of Defense (MOD), The Japan Times reports. This marks the fourth consecutive rise in defense spending since Shinzo Abe assumed office in December 2012.

The rise in the defense budget is primarily driven by a weakened yen, higher personnel costs and an increase in expenses for the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corp’s Futenma air base in Okinawa Prefecture, which increased from 24.4 billion yen for the current fiscal year to 59.5 billion yen under what is known as “SACO (Special Action Committee on Okinawa)-related expenses.”

The Diplomat reported in September:

When you take “SACO-related expenses” out of the equation, the actual spending that JMOD has proposed for itself is approximately 4.93 trillion yen ($41.4 billion) — comparable to what Tokyo spent on defense in 2002.

Defense spending for the next fiscal year starting in April 2016 will be heavily focused on solidifying Japan’s position in the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands – an island chain administered by Tokyo in the East China Sea—by investing in additional amphibious warfare capabilities.

Read the full story at The Diplomat

Editorial: Japan’s New Approach to Defense Technology

Japan's Soryu class Submarine is being offered to Australia

By Crystal Pryor

A look at Japan’s new Acquisition Technology and Logistics Agency and its recent Defense Technology Symposium

Western media outlets (such as the Wall Street Journal and The Economist) focused on the controversial security legislation Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pushed through the Japanese parliament in September. Yet Western media have paid far less attention to another significant change now well underway. In June of this year, legislation passed for the establishment of a new defense acquisitions agency under Japan’s Ministry of Defense. The new Acquisition Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) opened its doors for business on October 1.

The purpose of ATLA is to bring together disparate parts of the Ministry of Defense working on defense R&D, procurement, and exports under one roof. The goal is to improve efficiency, and eliminate organizational bureaucracy and duplication. Compared to similar agencies in Japan’s peer countries like the United Kingdom and France, ATLA is small, at 1,800 people and with a budget of about 2 trillion yen ($16.3 billion). Yet this is a massive agency by Japanese standards, representing a third of the total MOD budget. Creation of ATLA follows MOD’s shift away from the 1970 policy of indigenous development and production (former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone’s kokusanka houshin) to its new “Strategy for Defense Production and Technological Bases.”

Read the full story at The Diplomat

Editorial: Japan Seeks To Export its New Sub-Hunting Plane

By Franz-Stefan Gady

Tokyo has ambitions to become a global supplier of military hardware.

Japan will offer Great Britain its first indigenously developed and built maritime patrol aircraft, the Kawasaki P-1, and will send two jets overseas for the first time to participate in UK’s Royal International Air Tattoo – the world’s largest military airshow – according to media reports.

The Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) will dispatch two P-1s, part of the JMSDF’s 51 Air Development Squadron, from the Naval Air Facility Atsugi in Kanagawa Prefecture on July 10, according to the Japanese Ministry of Defense. One aircraft will be on static display, whereas the second plane will perform a flight demonstration at the airshow from July 17-19.

The planes will then head to an airbase near Ambouli International Airport in Djibouti to perform tests and permit “the technical challenges when operating in tropical and desert areas,” according to Japan’s Ministry of Defense quoted by IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly. The JMSDF airbase in Djibouti houses around 200 personnel and two Kawasaki-Lockheed P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft – the P-1s predecessor – stationed in Africa in order to conduct anti-piracy operations in the region.

Read the full story at The Diplomat

News Story: 11 countries upgrade naval power amid South China Sea tensions

Newly built Chinese Type 056 Corvettes

No fewer than 11 countries are upgrading their navies amid escalating tensions in the South China Sea, reports our Chinese-language sister paper China Times.

As could be expected, China and the United States are leading the charge. China's submarine fleet is expected to match that of the US by 2020 — in numbers, at least — with 78 subs. Many are to be stationed at the Yulin Naval Base along the southern coast of Hainan.

Despite continuing to increase its military budget every year, China's national defense spending still pales in comparison to the United States. The latest statistics from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute say the United States remains by far the world's top military spender, with its US$665 billion defense budget equal to the total of the next seven countries behind it on the list. US military expenditure is still three times that of China, which is still considerable given the amount is equal to the aggregate spend of 24 countries in East and South Asia.

Read the full story at Want China Times

New Story: Japan Boosts ISR Abilities Across Domains

Kawasaki P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (Image: JMSDF)

By Paul Kallender-Umezu

TOKYO — Japan's defense budget for 2015 prioritizes intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) improvements as the Ministry of Defense attempts to bolster, in particular, its ability to protect Japan's far-flung southwestern island chain, Nansei Shoto.

New ISR programs — some announced, some in planning — show Japan is extending its ISR reach not only in air- and space-based systems, but also in new maritime applications.

"The focus on improved ISR is useful and reflects a few things — not least, Japan's current ISR capabilities don't provide a useful operating picture of what's going on in the region," said Grant Newsham, a senior research fellow at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies.

Japan's approach to ISR changed radically in 1998 when a North Korean Taepodong missile overflew the nation, shocking it and spurring leaders to develop a small constellation of information-gathering reconnaissance satellites.

But a 2007 direct-ascent Chinese anti-satellite test and the surge in probing and incursions into Japanese air and maritime domains have alarmed planners and the public alike. For example, from January to April, the Air Self-Defense Force scrambled fighters 943 times against Russian and Chinese aircraft, the second highest on record since 944 times in 1984. Incidents steadily dropped through the 1990s and early 2000s, with totals typically in the 140s to 160s. By 2005 it was up to 229, in 2010 it was 386, surging to 943 five years later, according to MoD figures.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Japan prepares to commission Izumo helicopter destroyer

Izumo Helicopter Destroyer shortly after launch

Preparing for a potential conflict with the PLA Navy over the disputed East China Sea, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is ready to commission its most advanced helicopter destroyer, Izumo, on March 25, reports our Chinese-language sister paper Want Daily.

Developed by Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, Izumo is the lead ship in its class of helicopter destroyer. It can carry seven anti-submarine warfare helicopters and search-and-rescue helicopters.

With five helipads on the flight deck, five helicopters can take off or land simultaneously. The ship can carry 400 troops and 50 trucks for amphibious operations. The ship has neither a ski-jump nor a catapult to launch fixed-wing aircraft but it can still become a light aircraft carrier after Japan receives F-35 Lighting fighters from the US, which have vertical take-off and landing ability.

Read the full story at Want China Times

PacificSentinel Note: Yes, Japan is buying F-35A Fighters, but these are CTOL (Conventional Take Off & Landing) aircraft, they are NOT buying F-35B's, which are the VTOL (Vertical Take Off & Landing) version for carriers use, this may change in the future, but for now the assumption made in the above story is incorrect.

News Story: US, Japan may give China an excuse to establish ADIZ over S China Sea

Japanese Kawasaki P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft

After the suggestion made by Rear Admiral Robert Thomas, the commander of the US Seventh Fleet, that Japan begin aerial patrols over the disputed South China Sea, China may establish a second Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the region, according to Nathan Beauchamp-Mustafaga, a defense expert said in his article written for the Jamestown Foundation on Feb. 4.

Beauchamp-Mustafaga said that the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) has just put its P-1 patrol planes, with a combat range of 8,000 kilometers, into service. This aircraft gives Japan the capability it needs to patrol the entire South China Sea. "I think that [JMSDF] operations in the South China Sea makes sense in the future," said Thomas on Jan. 29, "In the South China Sea, frankly, the Chinese fishing fleet, the Chinese coastguard and the [navy] overmatch their neighbors."

The Pentagon supported Thomas' comments, while the State Department tried to downplay them. Japan did not respond to Thomas' suggestion. Beijing has issued a warning to Tokyo to stay away from the disputed region, however. "Countries outside the region should respect the endeavor of countries in the region to safeguard peace and stability and refrain from sowing discord among other countries and creating tensions," said a representative of the Chinese foreign ministry on Jan. 30.

Read the full story at Want China Times

News Story: London Meeting Signals Closer UK-Japan Ties

By Andrew Chuter

LONDON — Britain and Japan have pledged to increase cooperation in military training, weapons development, cyber, security and other areas following a meeting in London of the nations' foreign and defense ministers on Wednesday.

The cooperation effort includes the launch of joint defense equipment and technology projects, according to a joint statement.

A feasibility study on a new air-to-air missile kicked off in November and is due to run for several months. A research project involving chemical and biological technology is also on the agenda.

Details on the missile work are scarce, but the Japanese media reported mid-2014 that the two nations were considering a program involving Japanese guidance technology fitted to the MBDA-designed Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, now due to come into service with several air forces across Europe.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Experts - Japan Budget Boost Still Won't Meet Goals

By Paul Kallender-Umezu

TOKYO — While Japan's newly unveiled defense budget represents the third small hike in a row after decades of low spending, experts say such spending remains insufficient to fund Tokyo's plans for "dynamic defense forces."

Japan's defense budget for fiscal 2015 is edging up 0.8 percent to ￥4.82 trillion (US $41.12 billion), according to figures by the Defense Ministry, bringing defense spending closer to 1990 levels.

While well below the 2.4 percent boost requested last August, the increase represents the third small hike in a row after a decade of decline. Japan has adopted a more assertive defense posture under the administration of the conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The MoD will receive funding for all the major purchases it has requested to begin updating its Air Force, restructure its defense posture to better protect Nansei Shoto, its southeast island chain south of Okinawa, and boost its naval fleet to strengthen its deterrence posture against China's Navy.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Right-wing tendency in Japan a bigger concern for China than (Senkaku/Diaoyu) Diaoyutai

The right-wing tendency of the Japanese administration, rather than the Diaoyutai issue, is the major sticking point for China in its relations with Japan, according to Duowei News, a media outlet run by overseas Chinese.

From 2012 onward the prospect of a Sino-Japanese conflict in the East China Sea has been batted around by media outlets from both countries, turning the issue into a piece of diplomatic theater. However, many analysts have suggested that tensions have eased, which means that many of the dramatic claims made by media outlets covering the dispute have fallen on deaf ears, particularly news about the Japanese defense budget in 2015 trumping that of previous years.

In previous years the US$44.3 billion that Tokyo has granted for defense spending might have incurred Beijing's wrath, but this may not be the case in 2015. As more and more Chinese warships and aircraft patrol the South China Sea, the East China Sea and Diaoyutai have become less of an immediate priority for China. This means that news stories from Tokyo about the Japanese defense budget and heightened defenses on the Ryukyu Islands are getting less and less traction in Beijing.

The investment in defense does not even surpass 1% of the GDP and only covers the basics. Many media outlets, including Tokyo Shimbun, have reported that the adjustment in the budget is to allow for the purchase of Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey aircraft, amphibious tanks and Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighters. The popularity of these vehicles among Chinese military enthusiasts succeeded in inciting a reaction, if a slightly subdued one, among Chinese military circles.

Read the full story at Want China Times

Editorial: Japan's First Steps Into the World of Arms Exports

Kawasaki P-1 (JMSDF)

By Mina Pollmann

Since overturning a ban on arms exports last year, Tokyo has made cautious progress on defense cooperation.

Japan’s self-imposed arms export embargo began modestly in 1967, based on the “three principles” of not exporting arms to communist states, states subject to UN arms embargoes, and states involved in or likely to be involved in international conflicts. Eventually, the policy evolved into a full-scale arms export ban, with only a few exceptions for technology transfers to the U.S. until Prime Minister Shinzo Abe overturned the ban in April 2014.

Under the new policy, Japan will continue the restriction of exports to states subject to UN embargoes (specifically Iran and North Korea) or involved in conflicts, but will allow exports in cases that will contribute to global peace and serve Japan’s security interests. The Abe government will also seek to make the process of defense exports and technology cooperation more transparent and to restrict the process so weapons will not be sold to third parties. In Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga’s words, the new policy “will contribute to peace and international cooperation from the standpoint of proactive pacifism.”

After the lifting of the ban, the first major weapons deal was approved last July when the Japanese Defense Ministry announced a deal to supply missile interceptor parts to the U.S. and transfer sensor-related technology to the U.K. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries manufactures the gyroscopes that the U.S. uses to increase precision in its Patriot Advanced Capability-2 (PAC-2) missile interceptors, and Mitsubishi Electric is likely to be involved in a joint research project with Britain to improve air-to-air missiles’ guiding capabilities. 

Read the full story at The Diplomat