Why Japan is now opening its door to lethal weapons exports
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- Japan lifts its 1967 ban on lethal weapons exports, allowing sales to 17 defense‑agreement partners.
- Australia signs a $6.5 billion agreement for 11 enhanced Mogami‑class frigates, with three built in Japan and the rest in Australian yards, delivery slated for 2030.
- Philippines plans to acquire decommissioned Abukuma‑class destroyer escorts to counter Chinese maritime expansion in the South China Sea.
- Masayuki Masuda of the National Institute of Defense Studies links the policy shift to security threats from China and North Korea.
- UK partners with Japan and Italy on a sixth‑generation stealth fighter under the Global Combat Air Programme.
Why it matters: Japan's defense firms secure a $6.5 billion frigate contract with Australia, to be delivered by 2030, while China and North Korea confront a bolstered allied military balance that drives a regional arms race.
