Japan Self-Defense Forces

A powerful U.S. missile system deployed in Japan for joint exercises with the Self-Defense Forces will be stored at a key military base in Okinawa Prefecture indefinitely from mid-October, according to The Japan Times. The move extends the American military footprint in the prefecture and is likely to draw attention from local communities concerned about the US presence, as well as from observers tracking regional security dynamics with China and North Korea.

Japan's Defense Ministry is planning a new framework to back startups developing unmanned aerial vehicles and related products, according to the Japan Times. The initiative would give emerging defense technology firms a clearer route into supplying the Self-Defense Forces, reflecting Japan's broader push to strengthen its domestic defense industrial base and catch up on drone capabilities amid regional security concerns.