Japan: Defense Ministry to seek record 8.8 trillion yen for fiscal 2026
“The Defense Ministry plans to seek a record 8.8 trillion yen ($60 billion) in its budget request for fiscal 2026, emphasizing the deployment of drones and other unmanned vehicles for a new coastal defense initiative, sources said Aug. 18.”
“The government also plans to raise the total of the Defense Ministry’s budget and related expenditures, such as research and development costs at other ministries, to 2 percent of Japan’s gross domestic product by fiscal 2027.”
“It plans to acquire low-cost, foreign-made vehicles, considering imports from Turkey, the United States and Australia, for example. Its priority is rapid and large-scale deployments.”