Japan plans record defense spend of more than $55 billion next year
Japan will seek to build more drones and missiles as part of a record defense spend of more than $55 billion next year, citing concerns over China’s military assertiveness and threats from North Korea and Russia.
Japan will seek to build more drones and missiles amid growing concerns over China’s military assertiveness.
Japan will seek to build more drones and missiles as part of a record defense spend of more than $55 billion next year, amid growing concerns over China’s military assertiveness.
Under a plan that Beijing has decried as “ new militarism,” Japan is targeting more uncrewed weapons systems — including a new 3D-printed drone fleet — to compensate for its aging population.
Tokyo also sees threats from North Korea and Russia: Vladimir Putin visited the formerly Japanese Kuril Islands earlier this month for the first time, reigniting a 150-year-old feud.
Still, the record top-line figure is a modest increase over this year’s budget, lagging South Korea and Taiwan, and may prove too incremental to satisfy US demands.