Latest news with #SelfDefenseForces
Japan Times
5 days ago
- General
- Japan Times
Japan and Philippines agree to strengthen defense cooperation
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro on Sunday agreed to further strengthen cooperation between Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) and the Philippine military amid China's intensified military activities in the East and South China seas. Japan and the Philippines will use the bilateral framework of strategic dialogue between unit operation officers, which the two defense ministers agreed to establish at their meeting in February. At the beginning of Sunday's meeting with Nakatani in Singapore, Teodoro said Japan and the Philippines must enhance deterrence and oppose actions they do not want, with China in mind. The two ministers confirmed the expansion of joint exercises following the signing of a reciprocal access agreement to facilitate visits to each other's country by the SDF and the Philippine military. China has repeatedly intruded into Japanese waters off the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea and has territorial disputes with the Philippines in the South China Sea. Japan and the Philippines, at a summit meeting in April, confirmed the importance of the early conclusion of an information protection agreement and the start of negotiations on an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement. Through the strengthening of its relationship with the Philippines, Japan hopes to increase the effectiveness of multilateral cooperation, including that involving the United States and Australia. Also on Sunday, Nakatani held talks with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles. They discussed the Australian Navy's plan to introduce new frigates, and Nakatani urged the Australian side to select the Maritime SDF's Mogami-class destroyers. "If adopted, the interoperability between the SDF and the Australian military will be further enhanced, which is of great strategic value to both countries," Nakatani told reporters after the meeting. On the same day, Nakatani also met separately with the defense ministers of Thailand, New Zealand and Malaysia to confirm the promotion of defense cooperation. On Saturday, the Japanese defense minister held separate talks with his counterparts from France and Singapore.
Japan Times
6 days ago
- General
- Japan Times
Japan, Philippines agree to strengthen defense cooperation
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro on Sunday agreed to further strengthen cooperation between Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the Philippine military amid China's intensified military activities in the East and South China seas. Japan and the Philippines will use the bilateral framework of strategic dialogue between unit operation officers, which the two defense ministers agreed to establish at their meeting in February. At the beginning of Sunday's meeting with Nakatani in Singapore, Teodoro said Japan and the Philippines must enhance deterrence and oppose actions they do not want, with China in mind. The two ministers confirmed the expansion of joint exercises following the signing of a reciprocal access agreement to facilitate visits to each other's country by the SDF and the Philippine military.
Japan Times
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Japan enacts active cyber defense law
Parliament passed a bill on Friday to allow the government to take proactive steps to prevent serious cyberattacks. The Upper House passed the active cyber defense bill with majority support spanning the ruling bloc and the major opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. The legislation calls for the respect of the secrecy of communications, a provision added as a result of deliberations at the Lower House. The government plans to put the new law into full effect in 2027. The introduction of active cyber defense is stipulated in the government's 2022 National Security Strategy, with a goal of having Japan acquire the ability to defend against cyberattacks that is equivalent to or better than that of major Western countries. Under the new law, the government will acquire and analyze communications between foreign countries via Japan and between Japan and other countries from peacetime. If there is a sign of a cyberattack, police and the Self-Defense Forces will take steps to neutralize threats. The government will establish joint bases for the police and the SDF. The law calls for promoting public-private cooperation, such as in the sharing of sensitive information, to improve the cyber defense capabilities of infrastructure operators. Businesses will be required to report to the government on the introduction of communication devices and cyberattacks. In order to minimize restrictions linked to the secrecy of communications, which is guaranteed by the Constitution, mechanical information, such as internet protocol addresses and attack commands, will be sorted out and analyzed. Essential contents of communication, such as email texts, will be excluded from examination. An independent organization will be established as an external bureau of the Cabinet Office to oversee the enforcement of the law. In principle, the acquisition of communication information and neutralization of threats of cyberattacks will be subject to prior approval. The number of such approvals will be reported to parliament. Government officials who illegally use or leak acquired information will be sentenced to up to four years in prison or up to ¥2 million ($13,760) in fines.
Japan Times
14-05-2025
- General
- Japan Times
ASDF training jet crashes shortly after takeoff in Aichi
An Air Self-Defense Force training aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from an ASDF base in Aichi Prefecture on Wednesday, with the fate of the two people aboard not immediately clear. "We understand that a T-4 training aircraft belonging to the Air Self-Defense Force crashed shortly after takeoff from Komaki Air Base," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, the government's top spokesman, told a regular news conference. "Details are being confirmed by the Defense Ministry." On Wednesday afternoon, the Self-Defense Forces, as well as local police and fire department officials, were conducting rescue operations for the crew of the jet, which disappeared from radar just after 3 p.m. Footage taken by local media showed a helicopter hovering around a reservoir in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, where debris was seen floating on the surface. In addition to its training role, the T-4, which is manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, is also used by the ASDF's Blue Impulse aerobatic team.
