Tag - defense

 
Menu
Search
 
July 03, 2026
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

DEFENSE

A model of an upgraded Mogami-class destroyer is displayed during the DSEI Japan exhibition at Makuhari Messe in Chiba last May.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jun 2, 2026
Australian Mogami ships to have ‘core DNA’ of Japan versions, ADF chief says
The move could prove a boon for Japan’s defense industry, as it would allow domestic firms to play crucial roles in the vessels’ maintenance and repair throughout their lifespan.
China's Liaoning aircraft carrier takes part in a military drill in the western Pacific in April 2018.
JAPAN
Jun 2, 2026
Chinese aircraft carrier conducts drills east of Philippines
The exercises were reported as Beijing lashed out at Tokyo over its defense buildup and growing security ties with Manila.
Vietnamese President To Lam gives the keynote address during the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Friday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 2, 2026
Vietnam is Asia’s rising power to watch
According to the Lowy Institute’s 2025 Asia Power Index, Vietnam recorded the second-largest increase in overall influence in the region.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 1, 2026
Japan taking cautious — if firm — approach to avoiding escalation with China
The absence of any direct mention of China in Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi’s rebuttal against claims of a “new militarism” in Japan highlights the country’s careful approach.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro speaks during a group interview on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore on Sunday.
JAPAN
Jun 1, 2026
Japan eyes first export of indigenous missile system amid closer ties with Philippines
The Type 88 missile system is among several Japanese anti-ship weapons being considered, the country’s defense chief has said.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 1, 2026
U.S. castigates Europe over defense spending as NATO reassures Asia
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised Asian partners and chastised European allies at the Shangri-La Dialogue.
A Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Type-88 surface-to-ship missile is fired during the Balikatan exercises at Culili Point Sand Dunes in Paoay, Ilocos Norte province, Philippines, on May 6.
JAPAN
May 31, 2026
Japan and Philippines to discuss surface-to-ship missile exports
Type-88 surface-to-ship guided missiles of Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force are expected to be up for consideration.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi delivers a speech during the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Sunday.
JAPAN
May 31, 2026
Japan rejects Chinese ‘new militarism’ label, spotlighting Beijing’s own buildup
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi also used Tokyo’s concerns of a crisis over Taiwan to justify Japan’s move into a “new role” as a primary regional defense equipment supplier.
Adm. Samuel Paparo, head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, speaks during an event in Simi Valley, California, last December.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 31, 2026
Pentagon’s Asia command seeks weapons aimed at deterring China
The U.S. military is quietly seeking to bolster its ability to deter or battle China over Taiwan, including with new warship-killing bombs and advanced sea mines.
U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. Xavier Brunson greets a Thai representative at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 31, 2026
U.S. and South Korea in talks over American commander’s remarks on China
The incident occurred amid growing speculation that Washington may expand its role in countering the growing regional influence of China, a key ally of North Korea and Russia.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles (center) is flanked by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (left) and British Defense Secretary John Healey ahead of an AUKUS defense ministers' news conference at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 31, 2026
AUKUS nations to develop payloads for uncrewed undersea vehicles
The U.S. defense secretary met his Australian and British counterparts on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, where they reviewed progress on the AUKUS pact.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks with Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi as they arrive for a ministerial roundtable during the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday.
JAPAN
May 30, 2026
U.S. and Japan defense chiefs agree to accelerate missile coproduction
A key focus of the meeting was a Japanese proposal known as “Operation Supercharge,” designed to accelerate joint development and mass production of advanced missile systems.
A satellite image shows military activity underway at an octagon-shaped installation, with large tents and a range of military vehicles, in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on April 30.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 30, 2026
China is building launchpads near its nuclear missile silos
The scale of the construction points to a sweeping expansion of hardened infrastructure ​designed to protect and operate China’s land-based nuclear forces.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks to reporters as New Zealand defense chief Chris Penk (left) and Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles listen on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 30, 2026
Mogami frigate talks anchor first Japan-Australia-N.Z. trilateral defense chiefs’ meeting
The three nations’ first such meeting signaled the emergence of a new regional security format as they explore a three-way expansion of Tokyo’s Mogami-class frigate program.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday.
JAPAN
May 30, 2026
Hegseth says U.S. has ‘high expectations‘ for Japan on defense spending
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has delivered a veiled warning to Tokyo, saying that while Japan was “headed in the right direction,” more must be done.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami-class frigate Kumano is docked at Singapore's Changi Naval Base during a maritime defense exhibition in May 2023.
JAPAN
May 29, 2026
New Zealand to decide on Japan’s frigates by end of 2027, defense chief says
New Zealand Defence Minister Chris Penk highlighted interoperability with Australia as a key factor in the ongoing deliberations.
Japan's Ambassador to the U.N. Yamazaki Kazuyuki said Japan had always been faithful to the ⁠U.N. Charter and upheld international law, while Russia was "continuing its aggression against Ukraine in violation of ​the charter."
JAPAN
May 29, 2026
Japan dismisses ‘ridiculous’ Russian criticism of military buildup
Russia’s U.N. ambassador had said that “remilitarization” in Germany and Japan was a dangerous threat to global security and was undoing the results of World War II.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. before a meeting at the Akasaka Palace state guest house in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 28, 2026
Japan and Philippines agree to elevate ties to new level amid China concerns
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi also said they would begin formal negotiations on a key intelligence-sharing pact.
Members of the People's Liberation Army stand guard as the strategic strike group displays DF-61 nuclear missiles during a military parade in Beijing on Sept. 3, 2025.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 28, 2026
U.S.-China conflict over Taiwan risks a nuclear escalation, study finds
The International Institute for Strategic Studies says the world is on the cusp of a new nuclear arms race “with the Asia-Pacific at its core.”
U.S. troops take part in a counter-landing live fire exercise as part of the annual Balikatan joint military drills in the Philippines on May 4.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 28, 2026
As Europe weighs less reliance on U.S. military, Asia doubles down
Tokyo, Seoul, Canberra and other capitals in the region believe U.S. military power is critical to counter the challenges from China and North Korea.
Japan triples departure tax in push to combat overtourism
Tourists in Yanaka Ginza, Tokyo, on Wednesday. Japan tripled its International Tourist Tax (departure tax) to ¥3,000 from ¥1,000 on Wednesday for all travelers leaving Japan, regardless of nationality.
‘My dream is broken’: Japan visa rules push out foreign residents
A man orders from a kebab shop in the Okubo district in Tokyo.
More facilities in Japan placing sanitary bins in men’s restrooms
A sanitary bin with an awareness sticker placed in a men's restroom in the Nagasaki Municipal Government building
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
Why is the yen so weak and what can Japan do about it?
Japan spent ¥11.7 trillion ($73 billion) between late April and late May to prop up the weak yen.
Six of the best: rikishi of note in each sumo division
Kazuma (right) faces off against future <i>yokozuna</i> Onosato during the All Japan Amateur Sumo Championships at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo in December 2020.
Some startups see opportunity in an aging Japan
Yasmin Baba, CTO of Amilis, wins the Grand Prize at the Pitch2Tokyo Grand Final on Feb. 19.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Digital marketer Netyear zeros in on generative AI
Digital marketer Netyear zeros in on generative AI

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER