National Sep 20, 2018
The municipal assembly for Abu, named in May as a potential host site, unanimously adopted a petition asking the Defense Ministry to retract its plan to deploy the missile system.
NEWSWORTHY
National / Politics Sep 3, 2018
Abe repeats goal of revising Article 9 in speech to SDF's top brass
In a speech at the Defense Ministry on Monday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe signaled his resolve to amend the Constitution to ensure the legitimacy of the Self-Defense Forces. "Arranging an environment where all SDF personnel can fulfill their duties with strong pride is the responsibility ...
National / Politics Sep 3, 2018
Defense Ministry to equip Aegis ship with SM-6 missile interceptor system
The Defense Ministry plans to equip the Maritime Self-Defense Force's new Aegis-equipped destroyer Maya with the Standard Missile-6, or SM-6, anti-air missile system to shoot down cruise missiles, according to informed sources. The ministry included ¥13.2 billion in its fiscal 2019 budget request to acquire ...
National / Politics Aug 31, 2018
Japan's Defense Ministry eyes record defense budget amid North Korean and Chinese threats
The budget proposal released Friday calls for defense spending to rise 2.1 percent to ¥5.3 trillion for the year starting April 1.
World Aug 31, 2018
As world changes, Europe rethinks strategic dependence on Trump's U.S.
by Hal Brands
In 1776, the New World declared independence from the old. Today, it is the Old World that is declaring independence from the new. French president Emmanuel Macron has become the latest European leader to issue a declaration of strategic independence from Donald Trump's America. Asserting ...
National / Politics Aug 28, 2018
Japan's assessment of North Korea threat unchanged despite Kim-Trump summit: annual defense paper
by Reiji Yoshida
Pyongyang has already deployed Rodong ballistic missiles and the country may have already succeeded in producing nuclear warheads small enough to fit on those missiles, the ministry warned.
World Aug 28, 2018
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday called for Europe to stop relying on the United States for its military defense as he pushed for fresh EU integration in the face of rising nationalism around the continent. Relaunching his diplomatic agenda after the summer break, the ...
National / Politics Aug 26, 2018
Advisory panel in works to speed up review of Japan defense guidelines
An advisory panel will be set up to expedite the review of the national defense buildup guidelines toward the year-end deadline, according to a source. The National Defense Program Guidelines establish the defense capability objectives that Japan should achieve over the next decade. The panel, which ...
National / Politics Aug 22, 2018
U.S. military to deploy five Ospreys to Yokota Air Base near Tokyo in October
The U.S. military will deploy five Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to Yokota Air Base in the suburbs of Tokyo on Oct. 1 as part of a plan to introduce a total of 10 Ospreys to the base over several years, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday. While ...
National Aug 19, 2018
Japan's Defense Ministry to request record ¥5.3 trillion budget for fiscal 2019
The Defense Ministry is considering making a record request of over ¥5.3 trillion for the fiscal 2019 budget, informed sources said. The amount will be over ¥100 billion bigger than its initial budget for fiscal 2018 because of the plan to buy into Aegis Ashore, ...
Asia Pacific Aug 6, 2018
Taiwan's Tsai Ing-wen seeks $11 billion defence budget as China threat grows
Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen said Monday she is seeking to ramp up spending on the armed forces, as relations with China deteriorate. Her proposal to increase the 2019 defence budget by 5.6 percent to 346 billion New Taiwan dollars ($11.3 billion) will go before parliament ...