Japan Ramps Up Military Spending and Tech Strategy Amid Rising Regional Tensions

Tokyo’s latest defense report signals a major shift toward combat drone integration and deeper regional security alliances to counter threats from China, Russia, and North Korea.

TOKYO — Japan has unveiled a robust defense strategy in its latest annual report, emphasizing the urgent need for a shift in warfare tactics and significant military expansion to ensure national security. The report highlights the integration of combat drones and an increase in "overall national strength" as central pillars to navigating an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape. Defense officials explicitly identified the growing military coordination between China, Russia, and North Korea as a primary concern. The document warns that China’s expanding footprint in the Pacific—parti…