Japan's Military

Constitutionally pacifist Japan is locked in a defense debate — not over whether it should expand its military capability and activity, but rather how. A consensus has emerged that Japan needs to take responsibility for its own defense in a post-Cold War world.

Key Analysis
Russian strategic bomber TU-95 in flight with two MiG-29s
STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images
A Russian Tu-95 strategic bomber in flight
Japan: A Brief Visit from a Russian Bomber
February 9, 2008 1806 GMT
Fighter aircraft from the Japan Air Self Defense Force and the U.S. Navy intercepted a Russian Tu-95 MS strategic bomber that entered Japanese airspace Feb. 9. The incident could help Japan’s military make its case for expansion. [more]
Japan Maritime Self Defense Force and ship return from refueling mission
Japan: Refueling the Defense Debate
January 11, 2008 1639 GMT
Japan's lower house of parliament passed a controversial bill Jan. 11 allowing its armed forces to resume refueling operations in the Indian Ocean in support of U.S. and coalition anti-terrorism operations in Afghanistan. [more]
Geopolitical Diary Graphic -- FINAL
Geopolitical Diary: Japan's Plans for Godzilla, Mothra and the Russian Bear
December 21, 2007 0329 GMT
Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba's statements on Thursday about defense deployments in response to an attack by Godzilla or Mothra hint at an important underlying issue: the evolution of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. [more]
Japanese Aegis-equipped destroyer Kirishima
Japan: The Aegis Specifications Leak
December 17, 2007 1711 GMT
A nearly yearlong investigation into mishandled classified specifications of the Aegis combat system inside the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) led to the Dec. 13 arrest of a JMSDF lieutenant commander. [more]
Japan Display
Japan: Shifting the BMD Balance in East Asia
November 29, 2007 1955 GMT
The Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces will participate in a live-fire test of a U.S. Navy ballistic missile interceptor Dec. 17 -- a move that will mark a significant advance for ballistic missile defense in East Asia. [more]
Japanese Naval Personnel in Uniform on Boat
Japan: Adjusting with the U.S. to the New World Order
October 31, 2007 2008 GMT
Internal debates over whether Japan's troops should continue expanding their activities dominate domestic headlines, but the country's move away from its pacifist constitution is a done deal. [more]
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