Japan is seeking another record-busting defense budget as China regularizes concerning military moves near Taiwan and North Korea continues its nuclear saber-rattling — with the move expected to send a clear message to both its allies and adversaries.
The Defense Ministry said Friday that it is seeking a budget exceeding ¥8.5 trillion ($58 billion) for fiscal 2025, as Japan looks to buy scores of small attack drones while beginning mass production of longer-range standoff missiles and incorporating a “constellation” of small satellites as it builds up its “counterstrike capabilities.”
The budget request, a roughly 10% hike over last year's record ¥7.7 trillion, is the third of a five-year spending plan of around ¥43 trillion, as Japan aims to spend 2% of its gross domestic product on defense by 2027.