Japan Seeks Record $55.6 Billion Defense Budget With AI Focus
Tokyo accelerates military modernization with drones, hypersonic missiles, and AI as tensions rise with China, North Korea, and Russia
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Japan’s Defense Ministry requested a record 8.9 trillion yen ($55.6 billion) defense budget on Monday, placing artificial intelligence, drones and long-range missiles at the center of Tokyo’s efforts to strengthen its military capabilities amid a worsening security environment in East Asia.
The final defense budget could reportedly reach 10 trillion yen as Japan undertakes a sweeping military modernization program aimed at responding to growing security challenges involving China, North Korea and Russia.
The latest budget request focuses on what the ministry described as “new ways of warfare,” with particular emphasis on artificial intelligence, unmanned systems and standoff weapons capable of striking targets from long distances.
Under the proposal, Japan’s Defense Ministry plans to introduce an AI-powered decision-support system designed to accelerate the analysis of information and improve military decision-making.
The ministry also plans to acquire low-cost drones capable of operating alongside long-range missiles to help identify and neutralize enemy assets.
Japan is additionally seeking to develop hypersonic missiles that can be launched from underwater, while establishing a new unit dedicated to countering cognitive warfare.
The proposed unit would focus on threats designed to influence public opinion and decision-making through disinformation campaigns and other information operations.
The budget request covers the fiscal year beginning in April 2027 and represents another major step in Japan’s efforts to expand its defense capabilities as the regional security environment becomes increasingly volatile.
For decades, Japan maintained a pacifist defense posture under its post-World War II constitution, limiting the use of military force largely to self-defense.
In recent years, however, Tokyo has increasingly moved toward strengthening its military capabilities and acquiring weapons designed to deter and respond to threats beyond its immediate territory.
China’s rapid military expansion has been a major factor behind the shift, while North Korea’s continued development of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons has added to Tokyo’s security concerns.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also heightened Japanese concerns that a major conflict could erupt in East Asia. Japan is also engaged in longstanding territorial disputes with China, further contributing to tensions in the region.
The proposed record defense spending underscores Tokyo’s growing determination to adapt its military capabilities to a changing strategic environment, with emerging technologies such as AI and autonomous drones playing an increasingly central role in Japan’s defense planning.