Overview
- The Defense Ministry formally submitted a preliminary ¥8.9 trillion budget request to the government, a record figure that officials expect to rise after revised national security documents are approved later this year.
- The request centers on three priorities: using AI and unmanned systems for “new ways of warfare,” building sustainment for prolonged conflict, and strengthening Japan’s defense industrial base.
- The ministry seeks funding for an integrated AI command platform called an “AI orchestrator,” mass-produced attack drones that can be launched above or below water, and development of submarine-launched hypersonic missiles.
- The plan includes a state-owned, contractor-operated manufacturing model under which the government would acquire factories and outsource production to secure steady supplies and scale up domestic arms output.
- Regional reactions have been critical, with China and North Korea objecting to Japan’s buildup, and the request builds on a five-year plan begun in 2022 that raised defense spending to about 2% of GDP and shifted the Self-Defense Forces toward stronger counterstrike roles.