NEWSWORTHY
New defense guidelines to prioritize long-range missiles for defense of Japan's outlying islands
New national defense program guidelines are expected to prioritize the possession of long-range missiles for the defense of outlying islands, in the face of China's growing military capabilities, sources have said. The envisaged missiles will have a range of 500 to 900 kilometers and will ...
Japan to effectively remodel MSDF vessel into aircraft carrier
Japan plans to effectively upgrade one of its helicopter carriers to enable it to transport and launch fighter jets, the latest draft of its defense guidelines showed Tuesday, in an apparent effort to curtail China's maritime assertiveness in nearby waters. The ruling parties approved the ...
Japan's two Aegis Ashore anti-missile candidate sites run into local opposition
Located in northwestern Honshu on the Sea of Japan coast, Akita Prefecture has long been thought of in Tokyo and especially western Japan as remote — part of poet Matsuo Basho's famed "The Narrow Road to the Deep North." The prefecture is well-known for the ...
Japan's Self-Defense Forces may create new training units for growing number of female officers
The Self-Defense Forces is considering adding training units to cater to an increasing number of female personnel, sources with knowledge of the matter said Saturday. As the number of female recruits has been growing in recent years, the SDF is finding it difficult to accept ...
Defense Ministry pursues record spending amid plan to buy more U.S. arms: report
The Cabinet is set to sign off on the five-year, ¥27 trillion spending surge this month as Japan moves to narrow its trade gap with the U.S., a report says.
ASDF shows off new government plane that will carry Japan's prime minister and Imperial family
The Air Self-Defense Force unveiled on Thursday the inside of a new government plane at its base in Chitose, Hokkaido. The new jet, to be put into service from fiscal 2019 starting next April, will carry such dignitaries as the prime minister and members of ...
Two rescued, five missing after 'mishap' involving U.S. Marine tanker and fighter jet off Kochi
Tokyo said the crash had occurred around 100 km off Cape Muroto in Kochi Prefecture.
Japan's government ordered to pay residents for past noise pollution damage from Yokota Air Base
The court dismissed a demand to halt to future flights and for compensation over future noise.
Japan eyes introduction of multipurpose aircraft ‘mother ship’ and purchase of extra 100 F-35 jets
The government is considering transforming a helicopter destroyer into an aircraft carrier, a source said, in what could be seen as a departure from the country’s pacifist Constitution.
Cybersecurity and threats from space targeted in Japan's draft of new defense guidelines
The government on Tuesday called for quickly beefing up defenses against cyberattacks and threats from outer space as it unveiled a draft outline of the national defense buildup guidelines, to be updated next month. The government said in the draft that the security situation surrounding ...
Work on Japan's new defense guidelines to focus on missiles, cyberattacks
The ruling coalition will focus on addressing threats posed by ballistic missiles, cyberattacks and electromagnetic attacks when revising the national defense program guidelines, a senior official said. "North Korea has improved its ballistic missile capabilities," former Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters Fridya after the ...
Japan puts off delivery of first Osprey shipment from U.S. due to local opposition
Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya has announced that the government is postponing delivery of the first batch of Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft from the United States, initially planned for this fall. The delayed arrival of the five V-22s is apparently due to the government struggle to ...
