TOKYO – A Japanese Defence Ministry panel has urged the government to strengthen deterrence by expanding drone and submarine capabilities armed with long-range missiles, as China continues to heighten its maritime assertiveness.
In a proposal submitted to Defence Minister Gen Nakatani on September 19, the panel also advised easing arms export restrictions to build closer ties with like-minded nations. The recommendations come after more than a year of deliberations by experts in security, economics, and technology.
The report highlighted the evolving global security environment, noting that “strategic alignment” between China, Russia, and North Korea has reached a new level compared with 2022, when Japan last updated its National Security Strategy. Referring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China’s technology support to Moscow and Pyongyang’s troop deployment, the panel warned of a high likelihood of trilateral cooperation in case of regional conflict.
Chaired by former Japan Business Federation leader Sadayuki Sakakibara, the study emphasized Japan’s need to pursue its largest defence build-up since World War II. The current programme commits 43 trillion yen (S$374 billion) over five years, targeting defence spending equal to 2 per cent of GDP by 2027. The panel welcomed this goal but suggested additional investment may be necessary despite fiscal constraints.
Criticising Japan for lagging in unmanned technology, the report pushed for a “full-scale introduction of unmanned assets,” including permanently airborne surveillance drones, to bolster operational efficiency and readiness against emerging threats.