Defense Ministry's record 8.9 trillion budget request expected to balloon further by year-end

Defense Ministry's record ¥8.9 trillion budget request expected to balloon further by year-end Ghost Robotics' Vision 60 quadruped robot joins the Ground Self-Defense Force's 1st Airborne Brigade during an annual New Year military drill at Narashino exercise field in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, in January. The 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. 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 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. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.