Germany appears to be considering participating in a joint project among Japan, Britain and Italy to develop a next-generation fighter jet, as its collaboration with France and Spain faces challenges. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/11/japan/germany-fighter-jet-program/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #germanyjapanrelations #germany #italy #uk #fighterjets #defenseministry
A top Pentagon official discussed strengthening the U.S.-Japan military alliance with a Japanese counterpart in Tokyo as Washington continues to put pressure on its allies in Asia to ramp up defense spending. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/29/japan/politics/japan-us-defense-alliance-talks/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #usjapanrelations #defense #defenseministry #elbridgecolby #takehirofunakoshi
Japan is eyeing nuclear-powered submarines as more neighbors in the increasingly fraught region look to the vessels. But are they worth the costs? https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/28/japan/japan-challenges-nuclear-submarines/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #defenseministry #defense
An ex-SDF member who was sexually assaulted while serving has reached a settlement with the government and her former colleague after a yearslong legal battle. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/27/japan/crime-legal/rina-gonoi-sdf-assault-settlement/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #crimelegal #rinogonoi #sdf #sexualharassment #defenseministry
North Korea has fired off at least two apparent ballistic missiles, Japan's Defense Ministry has said, following a military drill featuring a hypersonic missile system earlier this month. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/27/asia-pacific/north-korea-missile-january-27/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #northkorea #missiles #nuclearweapons #southkorea #defense #defenseministry
From the United States’ reverse-engineering of Iranian drones to Japan’s building of a drone “shield,” the tech is becoming increasingly crucial, especially as China’s military modernization continues unabated. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/20/japan/us-japan-drones-focus/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #china #us #usmilitary #defense #sdf #defenseministry #drones #pla
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has called the U.S.-Japan alliance “unshakable” after talks with U.S. defense chief Pete Hegseth, but declined to offer specifics about any discussions on China during their meeting. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/16/japan/politics/hegseth-koizumi-meeting-alliance/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shinjirokoizumi #petehegseth #us #usjapanrelations #washington #china #defense #defenseministry
Japan will form a panel of experts as early as this spring to start full-scale discussions on a review of the country's three key national security-related documents, government officials have said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/09/japan/japan-security-strategy-review/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #usjapanrelations #us #usbases #okinawa #defense #defenseministry
North Korea launched what appeared to be at least one ballistic missile on Sunday, Japan’s Defense Ministry said, less than a week after it test-fired two long-range “strategic” cruise missiles. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/04/asia-pacific/north-korea-missile-first-2026/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #northkorea #defense #defenseministry #missiles #nuclearweapons #kimjongun
The Defense Ministry has decided to suspend Kawasaki Heavy Industries from bidding on its projects for 2½ months until March 11, citing data falsifications on submarine engines. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/27/japan/kawasaki-heavy-defense-ministry-suspension/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #sdf #msdf #defense #defenseministry #corruption #submarines #kawasakiheavy
Japan’s Cabinet has approved a defense budget request exceeding ¥9 trillion for the first time ever, including some ¥100 billion to build a drone “shield” to help defend the country’s southwestern periphery. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/26/japan/japan-defense-spending-record-high/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #defense #budgets #defenseministry #sdf #sanaetakaichi #shinjirokoizumi
The United States has informed Japan of its hope to additionally use heavy weapons, such as antitank missiles and rocket launchers, in training at Ground Self-Defense Force firing ranges. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/24/japan/us-heavy-weapons-use-gsdf/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #us #usjapanrelations #okinawa #gsdf #defense #rockets #missiles #defenseministry #hokkaido #miyagi #yamanashi #shizuoka #oita
The government has adopted a new cybersecurity strategy, stipulating a new system enabling the police, the Defense Ministry and the SDF to work together in neutralizing critical attacks. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/23/japan/crime-legal/new-cybersecurity-strategy-police-sdf/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #crimelegal #japanesepolice #sdf #china #russia #northkorea #defense #defenseministry #cybersecurity #ai
The government has decided to move up a planned overhaul of the pay structure for Self-Defense Forces personnel, to a year earlier than scheduled, as it seeks to address chronic staffing shortages. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/23/japan/society/japan-sdf-pay-scale-overhaul/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #sdf #defenseministry #wages
For Japan’s top uniformed military officer, reinforcing the country’s defense capabilities to counter complex and diverse threats most think only exist in Hollywood movies has become one of his top priorities. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/18/japan/sdf-joint-staff-uchikura-interview/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #defense #defenseministry #hiroakiuchikura #missiles #china #drones #pla #usmilitary #usjapanrelations
Japan has long had some of the world’s strictest restrictions on arms exports. But things are set to change radically — as early as next spring — amid an increasingly fraught regional security environment. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/17/japan/politics/japan-arms-exports-analysis/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #nipponishin #sdf #defense #diet #defenseministry #nationalsecuritycouncil #trade #china #gcap #usmilitary #us #sanaetakaichi
China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier flotilla appeared to be on its way home, Japan said Friday, after the ships were spotted entering the East China Sea following military exercises in the Pacific. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/13/japan/china-japan-aircraft-carrier-return/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #china #pla #chinajapanrelations #aircraftcarriers #defense #defenseministry #sdf
Comments made a month ago by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that triggered a diplomatic spat with China over Taiwan appear to have been unscripted, based on documents obtained by a lawmaker. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/12/japan/politics/takaichi-taiwan-unscripted/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #chinajapanrelations #china #taiwan #sanaetakaichi #defense #defenseministry
China’s increasingly aggressive military actions toward Japan, highlighted by a recent radar lock-on incident, reflect a growing pattern of pressure that Tokyo and its allies must counter with steady vigilance. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/editorials/2025/12/12/chinas-continue-to-test-japans-defenses/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #editorials #chinajapanrelations #china #defense #pla #shinjirokoizumi #defenseministry #donaldtrump #us #taiwan #sanaetakaichi
The U.S. has for the first time criticized the Chinese military’s use of radar on Japanese fighter jets last week, as Tokyo refuted Beijing’s claims it had given sufficient advance notice of military drills near Japan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/10/japan/politics/china-radar-lock-on-japan/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #chinajapanrelations #china #defense #pla #shinjirokoizumi #defenseministry #donaldtrump #us #taiwan #sanaetakaichi