Latest news with #DSEI)Japan
Japan Today
7 days ago
- Business
- Japan Today
Asia boosts weapons buys, military research as security outlook darkens
FILE PHOTO: A mock model of the FFM "Upgraded Mogami" class is displayed during the Defence Security Equipment International (DSEI) Japan at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Japan May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo By Greg Torode and Jun Yuan Yong Spending on weapons and research is spiking among some Asian countries as they respond to a darkening security outlook by broadening their outside industrial partnerships while trying to boost their own defense industries, a new study has found. The annual Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment released on Wednesday by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said outside industrial help remains vital even as regional nations ultimately aim for self-reliance. "Recent conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, coupled with worsening U.S.-China strategic competition and deterioration of the Asia-Pacific security landscape, may lead to a rising tide of defense-industrial partnerships," it read. "Competitive security dynamics over simmering flashpoints ... feed into the need to develop military capabilities to address them." Spending on defense procurement and research and development rose $2.7 billion between 2022 and 2024, it showed, to reach $10.5 billion among Southeast Asia's key nations of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The spike comes even as the nations spent an average of 1.5% of GDP on defense in 2024, a figure that has kept relatively constant over the last decade. The study, released ahead of this weekend's annual Shangri-La Dialogue defense meeting in Singapore, said Asia-Pacific nations still rely on imports for most key weapons and equipment. Such items range from submarines and combat aircraft to drones, missiles and advanced electronics for surveillance and intelligence gathering. The informal Singapore gathering of global defense and military officials is expected to be dominated by uncertainties stemming from the protracted Ukraine conflict, Trump administration security policies and regional tension over Taiwan and the disputed busy waterway of the South China Sea. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are increasingly active and making inroads, the study said, though European companies have a prominent and expanding regional presence, via technology transfer, joint ventures and licenced assembly deals. The UAE now operates a diversified network of collaborators, such as China's NORINCO weapons giant and rival India's Hindustan Aeronautics. Joint development operations are not always easy, the study said, offering lessons from India's two-decade collaboration with Russia to produce the BrahMos supersonic anti-ship missile. While the feared weapon is fielded by India, exports have been hampered by lack of a clear strategy, with deliveries to its first third-party customer, the Philippines, starting only in 2024, the study added. Closer Russia-China ties could further complicate the weapon's development, particularly if Moscow chooses to prioritize ties with Beijing to develop a hypersonic version of the missile. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Japan Today
21-05-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Japan flexes defense ambitions at arms show
A mock model of an upgraded Type-12 SSM is displayed during the Defence Security Equipment International (DSEI) Japan at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Japan May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon By Tim Kelly Japan opened one of its largest-ever arms shows on Wednesday in a display that Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said marked the pacifist nation's deepening push for overseas defense cooperation and weapons exports. The DSEI Japan exhibition near Tokyo showcased Japanese missiles, warships and research into lasers and electromagnetic railguns. The event, double the size of the 2023 show, drew 471 firms from 33 countries, including 169 from Japan — twice as many as two years ago, according to organizer Clarion Defense & Security. "I sincerely hope that this exhibition will provide a new opportunity for cooperation and exchange between national delegations and companies, help sustain defense industry development, drive innovation and promote peace and stability," Nakatani said during a speech at the event. Japan has been gradually stepping back from the pacifism that was the cornerstone of decades of defense planning after the country's defeat in World War Two. It lifted a military export ban in 2014, and is taking its first steps into global defense cooperation encouraged by the United States and European partners eager to share development costs and tap Japan's industrial base. "Strength comes from expanding and elevating the alliance's capabilities and capacity, which means leveraging our respective skills and our specialties in co-development, co-production, and co-sustainment," U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass said as he opened the DSEI U.S. pavilion. Amid threats from China, North Korea and Russia, Japanese firms have become more willing to seek out military business. "Our foundation goes back over 70 years with industry here. That's with the big and large heavy industry players, which makes sense, but we're seeing that now at multiple tier levels, tier one, tier two companies, even startups," said William Blair, the regional chief in Asia and India for Lockheed Martin, which supplies F-35 stealth fighters, air defense radars and other equipment to Japan. Japan's partnerships in Europe include the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) jet fighter project with Britain and Italy. "With today's increasingly uncertain security environment, I believe we must respond not just domestically, but with a broader international perspective," said Katsuyuki Nabeta, a general manager at the defense and space unit of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), which is leading the Japanese portion of that advanced fighter project. "We are pleased to have the opportunity to showcase our technologies and reach a wider audience, he added at the company booth next to a model of the Mogami warship it wants to sell to Australia. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Straits Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Japan flexes defence ambitions at arms show
A mock model of an upgraded Type-12 SSM being displayed during the Defence Security Equipment International (DSEI) Japan. PHOTO: REUTERS TOKYO - Japan opened one of its largest-ever arms shows on May 21 in a display that Defence Minister Gen Nakatani said marked the pacifist nation's deepening push for overseas defence cooperation and weapons exports. The Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) Japan exhibition near Tokyo showcased Japanese missiles, warships and research into lasers and electromagnetic railguns. The event, double the size of the 2023 show, drew 471 firms from 33 countries, including 169 from Japan – twice as many as two years ago, according to organiser Clarion Defence and Security. 'I sincerely hope that this exhibition will provide a new opportunity for cooperation and exchange between national delegations and companies, help sustain defence industry development, drive innovation and promote peace and stability,' Mr Nakatani said during a speech at the event. Japan has been gradually stepping back from the pacifism that was the cornerstone of decades of defence planning after the country's defeat in World War II. It lifted a military export ban in 2014, and is taking its first steps into global defence cooperation encouraged by the United States and European partners eager to share development costs and tap Japan's industrial base. 'Strength comes from expanding and elevating the alliance's capabilities and capacity, which means leveraging our respective skills and our specialties in co-development, co-production, and co-sustainment,' US Ambassador to Japan George Glass said as he opened the US pavilion at the arms show. Amid threats from China, North Korea and Russia, Japanese firms have become more willing to seek out military business. 'Our foundation goes back over 70 years with industry here. That's with the big and large heavy industry players, which makes sense, but we are seeing that now at multiple tier levels, tier one, tier two companies, even startups,' said Mr William Blair, the regional chief in Asia and India for Lockheed Martin, which supplies F-35 stealth fighters, air defence radars and other equipment to Japan. Japan's partnerships in Europe include the Global Combat Air Programme jet fighter project with Britain and Italy. 'With today's increasingly uncertain security environment, I believe we must respond not just domestically, but with a broader international perspective,' said Mr Katsuyuki Nabeta, a general manager at the defence and space unit of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which is leading the Japanese portion of that advanced fighter project. 'We are pleased to have the opportunity to showcase our technologies and reach a wider audience, he added at the company booth next to a model of the Mogami warship it wants to sell to Australia. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
