Japan may expand the Self-Defense Forces' scope of permitted activities abroad to include refueling and medical support for U.N.-endorsed multinational forces engaged in combat, government and ruling party sources said Wednesday.
Such a major overhaul would signify a clear break from the government's long-held stance that SDF assistance should be restricted to "noncombat zones" under war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution and could require Tokyo to reinterpret the supreme law.
New Komeito, the junior coalition partner of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party, will likely oppose the move, which experts say could potentially increase the SDF's overseas operations without setting out clear limits.