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 ...
Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan plans to travel to Japan in early June, making his first visit to the country since taking up the post in January, sources familiar with the plan said Tuesday. Shanahan, whom President Donald Trump intends to nominate as his ...
Japan to assign 100 personnel to new satellite monitoring unit
The Defense Ministry will assign around 100 personnel to a unit to be created by fiscal 2022 to monitor space debris and satellites, according to sources. The Space Domain Mission Unit will track space debris such as used rocket parts and old satellites that pose ...
Japan and Vietnam defense ministers agree to peacefully tackle Beijing's South China Sea expansion
Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya and his Vietnamese counterpart, Ngo Xuan Lich, confirmed Thursday that the two countries will work together to peacefully resolve the issue of China's rapid expansion in the South China Sea. Meeting with Vietnam's minister of defense in Hanoi, Iwaya also stressed ...
Defining the Heisei Era: Just how peaceful were the past 30 years?
Asked what characteristics best summed up the Heisei Era (1989-2019), 79 percent of Japanese people thought it would be best remembered as being “peaceful and without war.”
The SCC's reaffirmation of the Japan-U.S. security partnership is a much needed and much welcomed statement.
Five takeaways from Japan-U.S. security talks
Last week's SCC meeting and joint statement put the allies on the right track, though not without a few noticeable speed bumps.
New operations center eyed for U.S. Air Force's Yokota base in western Tokyo
The U.S. Air Force is considering building an Air and Space Operations Center (AOC) tasked with drawing up and implementing military operations at Yokota base in western Tokyo, U.S. military sources said. The new AOC will support decision-making by the commander of the 5th Air ...
Japan's news outlets toe the line over Aegis Ashore anti-missile system
On March 21, a female student at the Akita University of Art in Araya Okawamachi, Akita Prefecture, was slated to give a valedictory speech at the college's graduation ceremony. According to the Asahi Shimbun on March 31, the unnamed woman wanted to talk partly ...
Japan and U.S. to develop new radar system for Aegis warships: sources
Japan and the United States are working toward the joint development of a new radar system for Aegis-equipped U.S. Navy warships, as part of efforts to improve defense capabilities, diplomatic sources said Sunday. Coordination between the two countries on the plan aimed at developing capabilities ...
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 ...
