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🇰🇷 South Korea /Economy & Trade

Japan’s defence budget could exceed 10 trillion yen for the first time to satisfy the United States

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Japan’s Defence Ministry has requested a record 8.8908 trillion yen for fiscal 2027, an increase of 80 billion yen from the previous year.
  • The proposal includes AI command-and-control systems, expanded missile capabilities, domestic drone development and support for defence production and personnel.
  • Government and ruling-party officials expect the final defence budget to exceed 10 trillion yen, partly because the United States is pressing allies to raise defence spending.

Japan’s defence budget could pass 10 trillion yen for the first time, after the Defence Ministry requested a record 8.8908 trillion yen for fiscal 2027. The request covers the year from April 2027 to March 2028 and exceeds the previous year’s request by 80 billion yen.

A central feature is the planned introduction of an artificial intelligence command-and-control system for the Japan Joint Operations Command, which integrates the country’s land, sea and air self-defence forces. Japan plans to initially adopt the Maven Smart System used by the US military and later replace it with a system developed by Japanese companies.

The ministry also wants more missiles for Japan’s counterstrike capability and plans to develop drones domestically. Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has said he wants the Self-Defence Forces to become the organization that uses unmanned equipment most actively in the world. Japan also plans an AI-based system to counter drone swarms, along with state ownership of facilities such as ammunition plants and government investment in private defence companies.

The Self-Defence Forces should become the organization that uses unmanned equipment most actively in the world.

— Shinjiro KoizumiJapan’s defence minister described his ambition for expanding the military’s use of drones and other unmanned systems.

The spending request includes additional welfare costs intended to help prevent a decline in Self-Defence Forces personnel. But many items remain listed without precise amounts. The government and ruling Liberal Democratic Party are expected to revise the figure substantially when Japan updates its three key security documents toward the end of the year.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has repeatedly pledged to strengthen Japan’s military capabilities. The administration of US President Donald Trump is also asking allies, including Japan, to spend about 3.5% of gross domestic product on defence. A Japanese Defence Ministry official told the Asahi Shimbun that Washington would not be satisfied if next year’s defence spending remained below 10 trillion yen. Total central government budget requests could reach about 143 trillion yen, more than 20 trillion yen above the 2026 figure.

If next year’s defence spending remains below 10 trillion yen, the United States will not be satisfied.

— Japanese Defence Ministry officialThe official explained why the final budget could exceed the ministry’s initial request.
About this summary

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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