Japan seeks record $56B defense budget amid military buildup

The Japanese Defense Ministry is seeking another record-breaking budget - nearly ¥9 trillion ($56 billion) - but that figure is widely expected to balloon even further as Japan revises its three key national security documents by the year-end, Report informs via The Japan Times.

From hypersonic underwater-launched missiles to artificial intelligence for command and control, the ministry's ¥8.9 trillion budget request for fiscal 2027 submitted to the government Monday is chock-full of advanced weaponry and tech, but also includes plans for strengthening the ministry's overseas and domestic outreach and a bigger role for the government in the defense sector.

The budget request, the final one in a five-year, ¥43 trillion ($269.2 billion) plan, is based on three pillars: preparing for "new ways of warfare" by employing AI and drones, ensuring sustained operational capabilities in a prolonged conflict and strengthening Japan"s defense industrial base.

The latest spending push comes as China, North Korea and Russia - and even Japan"s security ally, the United States - present challenges for Tokyo.