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SDF

Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 1, 2018
Japan to buy advanced U.S. radar for missile-defense system
Tokyo's upgrade could help ease trade friction with Washington and provide cutting-edge protection against the arsenals of North Korea and China.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 12, 2018
Is the Cruz Report the end of peacekeeping for Japan?
A report's call for more proactive and pre-emptive actions by peacekeepers collides with legal limitations on the SDF's use of force.
JAPAN
May 25, 2018
Maritime Self-Defense Force submarine fires torpedo decoy by mistake
A submarine operated by Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force mistakenly launched a torpedo decoy off the Kii Peninsula in western Japan early Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
May 21, 2018
Japan facing toughest security environment since World War II: Onodera
Amid the nuclear and missile threat posed by North Korea, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said Monday that Japan is facing its toughest security environment since World War II, and pledged to resolutely protect its territory.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 19, 2018
Japan's courts are being asked to define the role of the SDF
As discussed in Media Mix last week, news organizations are on the lookout for signs of whether the country’s Self-Defense Forces are becoming politically active. There have been indications the SDF wants to be the conventional military that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has in mind, but that...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 12, 2018
Lawmaker Hiroyuki Konishi's encounter with an irate SDF officer stirs debate on military
On April 16, opposition lawmaker Hiroyuki Konishi was walking by the Upper House members’ office building in Tokyo when he encountered a man jogging. The man recognized Konishi and started talking to him. His manner soon turned belligerent. An officer in the Self-Defense Forces, he objected to what...
WORLD
Apr 23, 2018
Pentagon corrects statements about missile used in Syria strikes, says stealthy new weapon eyed by Japan was not fired
The Pentagon has corrected its statement on the use of an advanced missile in the U.S. strikes on Syria on April 14, saying that the weapon fired was, in fact, not the stealthy type missile it initially described. Japan is considering purchasing that missile, known as the JASSM-ER (Joint Air-to-Surface...
EDITORIALS
Apr 21, 2018
Make wise use of SDF's Iraq logs
A mechanism should be established to properly assess the records of past SDF missions so that what was learned will be utilized in planning future activities and formulating policy.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 16, 2018
Strike on Syria gives Japan preview of stealthy new 'standoff' missile it is looking to buy
Japan was given a preview of the stealthy JASSM-ER "standoff" missiles it is considering purchasing after U.S. officials said B-1B bombers launched the weapons Friday for the first time in combat during strikes on the Syrian regime.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 15, 2018
Tens of thousands of protesters demonstrate outside Diet, demand 'liar' Abe's resignation over scandals
Tens of thousands of people joined a demonstration outside the Diet on Saturday, in a sign of growing public anger over cronyism scandals engulfing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2018
Chinese military aircraft flew over strategic waterway record number of times in fiscal 2017, Japan Defense Ministry says
Chinese military aircraft flew through a strategic waterway between Okinawa's main island and the island of Miyakojima a record 36 times in fiscal 2017, the Japanese Defense Ministry has announced, as China seeks to extend its reach further into the Western Pacific with what it calls "regular" exercises....
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 7, 2018
Japan activates first marines since WWII to bolster defenses against China
The first marine unit since World War II trained to counter invaders occupying far-flung Japanese islands in the East China Sea is activated.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 27, 2018
Abe's right — it's time to codify the SDF
The importance of providing legal clarity to decision-makers — especially during times of crisis — cannot be overstated.
JAPAN / Explainer
Mar 26, 2018
As moves for dialogue between North Korea and allies gather momentum, Japan prepares to enhance its missile shield
As the world looks to upcoming summits involving Pyongyang, Seoul and Washington with hopes of achieving even slight progress toward denuclearizing North Korea, Japan's Defense Ministry maintains that it's still too soon for the nation to consider dropping plans to boost security.
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 21, 2018
Trump to boost exports of lethal drones to more U.S. allies, sources say
President Donald Trump will soon make it easier to export some types of lethal U.S.-made drones to potentially dozens more allies and partners — including Japan — according to people familiar with the plan. Trump is expected to ease rules for such foreign sales under a long-delayed new policy on...
Japan Times
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Mar 21, 2018
China — not North Korea — to dominate Japanese military planning
North Korea's growing missile arsenal might be the most obvious and immediate military threat facing Japan, but defense planners in Tokyo are focused on a much larger and more challenging foe as they prepare for the years ahead.
JAPAN
Mar 16, 2018
Two SDF officers from Japan commit suicide after returning from South Sudan
Two Self-Defense Forces officers have committed suicide after returning home from the U.N.'s peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, the government said Friday.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 13, 2018
U.S. aircraft carrier and MSDF helicopter destroyer conduct joint exercises in disputed South China Sea
The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group has kicked off bilateral exercises with the Maritime Self-Defense Force, including one of the largest vessels in Japan's fleet, in the disputed South China Sea, the U.S. Navy said Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 8, 2018
Japan's new advanced fighter may be based on existing foreign design: sources
This month Japan made a third request to defense companies seeking proposals for the new aircraft, with a separate and more detailed document delivered to London and Washington, sources said.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 5, 2018
MSDF plans to buy tanker to replenish U.S. Navy's White Beach fuel facility in Okinawa
The Maritime Self-Defense Force would likely use the vessel to supply a facility favored by U.S. forces for its proximity to areas increasingly frequented by the Chinese.

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