Japan Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya apologizes over errors in Aegis deployment survey
The apology comes a week after the governor of Akita Prefecture criticized the ministry’s erroneous survey in connection with the deployment of the land-based Aegis Ashore missile defense system.
Akita governor blasts Defense Ministry over missile defense system survey errors
Akita Gov. Norihisa Satake criticized the Defense Ministry on Monday for making errors in the geographical survey that was used to select the prefecture as a candidate for hosting Aegis Ashore missile launchers. A ministry official was also caught snoozing when local residents were briefed ...
Pilot's 'spatial disorientation' was likely cause of F-35A crash, Japan defense minister says
According to a ministry report, there were no signs the pilot tried to eject and he is believed to have lost his bearings just before the crash.
Japan's plan to remodel Izumo-class carriers: Needed upgrade or mere show of force?
Rarely have Maritime Self-Defense Force ships garnered this much attention. On April 30, the Izumo helicopter carrier — one of Japan's two largest and arguably most controversial naval vessels — set off for a three-month deployment and this month it conducted two quadrilateral naval exercises ...
Japanese Defense Ministry mulls further steps against power harassment as SDF recruiters struggle
The Defense Ministry plans to compile a set of measures this summer to prevent power harassment, a senior ministry official said Friday. The ministry believes existing measures have been ineffective in light of the increasing number of punishments that have been issued for power harassment. While ...
F-35 stealth fighter that crashed off Japan didn't send distress signal before Pacific plunge
The single-seat jet had a system that would have emitted distress signals if the pilot ejected from the cockpit with a parachute, the ASDF said.
F-35A fighter jet crashed, Japan's defense ministry says, as hunt for missing pilot continues
According to Air Self-Defense Force, the incident in waters off Aomori Prefecture is the first crash involving an F-35A fighter anywhere in the world.
Japan and U.K. to postpone 'two-plus-two' security talks amid Brexit deadlock
Tokyo and London have decided to postpone their ministerial security talks scheduled for next week, a Japanese government source said Wednesday, due to the U.K. Parliament's continued efforts to end the Brexit impasse. The fourth "two-plus-two" meeting between the two countries' foreign and defense ministers ...
U.S. Osprey makes emergency landing at western Japan airport
A U.S. military Osprey aircraft made an emergency landing Monday afternoon at a busy airport in western Japan, causing some commercial flight delays, the Defense Ministry said. An MV-22 Osprey belonging to U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa Prefecture landed at Itami airport, ...
Japan plans to develop home-made long-range anti-ship missile to counter threat
The Defense Ministry plans to develop a domestically made long-range anti-ship missile, apparently in response to advanced, longer-range air-defense missiles now in service with the Chinese Navy, according to sources. Under the plan, the new missile will be an improved model of the ASM-3 supersonic ...
Japan has decided to develop for the first time long-range, air-to-ship cruise missiles that can be carried by fighter jets and are capable of attacking a warship from beyond the range of enemy weapons, government sources said Sunday. The plan is aimed at boosting deterrence ...
Journalists on Wednesday were given a guided tour of the Izumo — Japan's largest flat-topped helicopter carrier — for the first time since the Defense Ministry revealed a controversial plan late last year to convert it so that it could handle fixed-wing aircraft — ...
