{"id":44075,"date":"2026-08-11T16:22:44","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T14:22:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/?p=44075"},"modified":"2026-08-17T16:29:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T14:29:29","slug":"new-volume-global-story-japans-2026-defense-white-paper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/new-volume-global-story-japans-2026-defense-white-paper\/","title":{"rendered":"New Volume, Global Story: Japan\u2019s 2026 Defense White Paper"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"44075\" class=\"elementor elementor-44075\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-74f2a26 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"74f2a26\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4f92e7d3\" data-id=\"4f92e7d3\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1f0f0a60 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1f0f0a60\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Photo: via Japan Ministry of Defense Website\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3aac1bb7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3aac1bb7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<style>.elementor-element-3aac1bb7{display:none !important}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-19c72285 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"19c72285\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-36614819\" data-id=\"36614819\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-442f6ba2 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"442f6ba2\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-no-translation=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-165786fc\" data-id=\"165786fc\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4b5aa7b3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4b5aa7b3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div><h2><span lang=\"EN-US\">What is happening?<\/span><\/h2><\/div><div><span lang=\"EN-US\">The Japanese Ministry of Defense (MOD) has <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mod.go.jp\/en\/publ\/w_paper\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">published<\/span><\/a> <span lang=\"EN-US\">its <b>2026 Defense White Paper<\/b>, outlining the country\u2019s security challenges, military strategy and spending plans. Despite its optimistic manga-style cover, the contents are hardly heartwarming, with the current <b>security environment described as the most severe since World War<\/b> <b>II<\/b> \u2013 a depiction stressed by Tokyo since 2022. As in previous white papers, the main threats identified in the document are the People\u2019s Republic of China, North Korea and the Russian Federation, with their deepening ties increasingly seen as a major security risk for Japan and the international order.<\/span><\/div><div><span lang=\"EN-US\">This year\u2019s volume has two particularly interesting plot twists. The first is a major <b>emphasis on the acquisition and deployment of unmanned vehicles<\/b> (UVs) by the Self-Defense Forces (SDF). The second is the explicit rhetorical regarding the <b>inseparability of the Indo-Pacific and European security theaters<\/b>, treating developments in the two regions as inextricably linked.<\/span><\/div><h2><span lang=\"EN-US\">What is the broader picture?<\/span><\/h2><div><p class=\"p1\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Since 2022, the MOD\u2019s foremost priority has been building counterstrike capabilities featuring stand-off missiles and integrated air and missile defense. This year, however, unmanned systems have become the main character of the strategy. Lessons from the Ukrainian front have demonstrated the value of relatively cheap <b>drones capable of destroying much costlier conventional military assets<\/b>. Japan has therefore <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mod.go.jp\/en\/d_act\/d_budget\/pdf\/fy2026_20260302a.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">allocated<\/span><\/a><span lang=\"EN-US\"> \u00a5277 billion (approximately US$1.75 billion) to unmanned capabilities this fiscal year, which is roughly 2.5 times the previous year\u2019s budget.<\/span><\/p><\/div><div><p class=\"p1\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">This rise in financing is connected to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/news\/2026\/03\/13\/japan\/japan-coastal-defense-drones\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">SHIELD<\/span><\/b><\/a><span lang=\"EN-US\"> (Synchronized, Hybrid, Integrated and Enhanced Littoral Defense), a <b>coastal defense program <\/b>approved by Japan\u2019s cabinet in December 2025. The system is a multi-domain <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-07-at-12.30.55-pm.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">architecture<\/span><\/a><span lang=\"EN-US\"> designed to network a large number of relatively low-cost aerial, surface, and underwater drones to detect and counter approaching hostile forces. The implementation of SHIELD reflects concerns over <b>increasingly frequent <\/b><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jul\/21\/chinese-ship-opens-fire-japan-economic-zone-south-china-sea\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">Chinese military activity<\/span><\/b><\/a><b><span lang=\"EN-US\"> around Japan<\/span><\/b><span lang=\"EN-US\"> and Beijing\u2019s rapidly expanding production of UVs, further widening the military asymmetry between the two countries.<\/span><\/p><\/div><div><p class=\"p1\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">The choice of drone suppliers is also noteworthy. While <b>U.S. companies<\/b> remain the SDF\u2019s primary foreign suppliers, Japan is increasingly diversifying its procurement network. <b>Australian company<\/b> <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.australiandefence.com.au\/defence\/land\/defendtex-declines-to-comment-on-drone40-sale\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">DefendTex<\/span><\/a><span lang=\"EN-US\"> recently secured a contract for attack drones, while <b>European systems<\/b> are competing for further orders. At the same time, Tokyo wants to reduce its reliance on imports by supporting <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/asia.nikkei.com\/business\/aerospace-defense-industries\/japanese-startups-rush-into-defense-drones\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">domestic<\/span><\/b><\/a><b><span lang=\"EN-US\"> tech startups<\/span><\/b><span lang=\"EN-US\"> alongside established manufacturers such as Mitsubishi and Kawasaki. International cooperation is another part of this strategy: one example is a partnership between Japan\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/asia.nikkei.com\/business\/business-deals\/japan-s-terra-drone-buys-2-ukrainian-drone-makers-in-global-push\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Terra Drone<\/span><\/a> <span lang=\"EN-US\">and Ukrainian defense firms Amazing Drones and WinnyLab to develop interceptor drones. Their drone models have already been deployed to thwart Russian attacks in Ukraine. Such partnerships reflect Tokyo\u2019s broader effort to build a <b>progressively interconnected defense-industrial network<\/b>among aligned countries.<\/span><\/p><\/div><div><p class=\"p1\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">This points to the second highlight of this year\u2019s white paper: its increasingly <b>global view of security<\/b>. Deepening ties between authoritarian powers, visible in Sino-Russian <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/asia.nikkei.com\/politics\/defense\/china-russia-exercises-highlight-holes-in-japan-s-pacific-defenses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">military exercises<\/span><\/a><span lang=\"EN-US\"> and the deployment of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/aerospace-defense\/north-korean-missile-unit-deploys-russia-ukraine-war-kyiv-says-2026-08-05\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">North Korean troops<\/span><\/a><span lang=\"EN-US\"> alongside Russian forces, have linked the threats confronting Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Tokyo has therefore attempted to bridge the two theaters in order to better coordinate diplomatic, economic and military responses. This approach, initiated under the administration of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, over the past decade has evolved from a collection of individual bilateral partnerships into a broader <b>multilateral network of like-minded countries<\/b> increasingly sharing responsibility <b>for maintaining the international order<\/b>.<\/span><\/p><\/div><div><h2><span lang=\"EN-US\">Why does it matter?<\/span><\/h2><\/div><div><p class=\"p1\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Japan has become a pivotal actor in Indo-Pacific security, making its defense strategy even more consequential for the <b>resilience of the region<\/b>. Through arms transfers, joint development and deeper interoperability, Tokyo is also strengthening the capabilities of its partners.<\/span><\/p><\/div><div><p class=\"p1\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">As tensions rise at both ends of Eurasia, such cooperation is vital for building <b>convincing deterrence <\/b>to prevent unilateral changes to the status quo and <b>avoid escalation<\/b> into a broader conflict. For European states, this makes engagement in the Indo-Pacific not only desirable, but increasingly relevant to their own story.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Photo: via Japan Ministry of Defense Website Foto: z webu japonsk\u00e9ho ministerstva obrany What is happening? The Japanese Ministry of Defense (MOD) has published its 2026 Defense White Paper, outlining the country\u2019s security challenges, military strategy and spending plans. Despite its optimistic manga-style cover, the contents are hardly heartwarming, with the current security environment described [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":44077,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[500],"tags":[571],"class_list":["post-44075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-nadiya-yakubishyn"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>New Volume, Global Story: Japan\u2019s 2026 Defense White Paper - European Values Center for Security Policy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/new-volume-global-story-japans-2026-defense-white-paper\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New Volume, Global Story: Japan\u2019s 2026 Defense White Paper - European Values Center for Security Policy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Photo: via Japan Ministry of Defense Website Foto: z webu japonsk\u00e9ho ministerstva obrany What is happening? 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The Japanese Ministry of Defense (MOD) has published its 2026 Defense White Paper, outlining the country\u2019s security challenges, military strategy and spending plans. 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