Tokyo begins to develop strategy for development of military-industrial complex

By Alimat Aliyeva

The Japanese government has begun developing a new strategy for the qualitative advancement of its military-industrial complex and the expansion of arms exports, Azernews reports.

According to officials, the further lifting of restrictions on the supply of military equipment abroad is aimed at increasing the sector's attractiveness for businesses, including small and medium-sized enterprises. Documents outlining the new strategy are expected to be published in 2025.

For a long time, Japan maintained a de facto ban on arms exports, which made the country's Self-Defense Forces the only client of its military-industrial complex. This severely limited the size and attractiveness of the relevant market, leading many companies to withdraw from it.

As a result, Japan now has extremely limited production capacity, particularly in areas like ammunition. According to the Nikkei economic newspaper, the country’s reserves would last no more than two months in the event of a large-scale military conflict. Despite taking consistent steps in recent years to expand its military industry and lift export restrictions, Japan's presence in global defense markets remains extremely limited.