Stars and Stripes
• Mari Yamaguchi
Japan seeks $60B defence budget to boost coastal defences, buy more F‑35s and KC‑46s and triple drone spending
Japan is seeking a record $60 billion defense budget that funds coastal defences, additional F‑35s and KC‑46 tankers, and a tripling of drone spending. The request also paves the way for U.S. Tomahawk missile deployments and accelerated indigenous missile development amid rising threats from China, North Korea and Russia.
