After the Cold War, China's military rise became more pronounced. In response, the Self-Defense Forces advanced the "Southwest Shift" and an amphibious brigade.
The Self-Defense Forces have come far. Their next decade will be defined by ongoing minesweeping and the rising burden of scrambles against Chinese threats.
Surrounded by autocracies with nuclear weapons, Japan should more than ever support its Self-Defense Forces that strengthen the nation’s deterrence capability.
In the face of existing and threatened global conflicts, Speaking Out argues that constitutional amendment must proceed swiftly, giving the SDF top priority.
Whether the helicopter crash was accidental or brought about by malice, the Self-Defense Force needs to determine the cause to prevent a future occurrence.
Tokyo must clarify whether the rules for shooting down spy balloons also apply to manned aircraft, which have the potential to inflict more devastating damage.
Tens of thousands of people in at least nine prefectures were asked to evacuate due to threat of flooding, mudslides and infrastructure damage.
The debate continues, however: Do attacks on enemy drones violate Japan’s basic security posture that force be used “exclusively for defense”?
Japan is able to ship only non-lethal aid to Ukraine. It cannot have this legal limitation when an Indo-Pacific ally comes under attack.
Under the guise of acting as a law enforcement agency, the China Coast Guard may attempt to take over Japan’s Senkaku Islands, other islands in the...
August 10 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the National Police Reserve (NPR, Kokka Keisatsu Yobitai), the predecessor of the Japan Ground...
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated a decoupling movement, as states try to disentangle their supply chains and political commitments from an increasingly...