The Defense Ministry aims to adopt by March a new defense equipment production strategy, revamping a policy followed since 1970 of limiting manufacture to domestic companies, a government official said Saturday.
The new strategy will open the way for Japan to play a greater role in jointly developing and producing weapons with other nations and to globally market more noncombat equipment for commercial use, the official said.
The first change in strategy in 43 years is linked to a review by the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan's self-imposed arms export embargo.