Tokyo Is Reviewing Laws to Allow Secondhand Self-Defense Forces Equipment Transfers
apan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
As Japan considers measures ranging from the production of United States drones to the export of its own used weapons, tension is mounting for ‘K-Defense,’ which has been performing strongly in the global market. If Japan rises as a weapon export powerhouse, competition with South Korea, which has been pushing forward with ‘MASGA’ (Make American Shipbuilding Great Again) and the multiple rocket launcher ‘Chunmoo,’ is inevitable. In particular, South Korea is watching closely the possibility of Japan rising as a direct competitor for orders, primarily in the naval vessel sector, within the Southeast Asian market, which serves as an export stronghold for K-Defense.
According to foreign media and industry sources on April 29, the Japanese government is discussing plans to revise the provisions of the Self-Defense Forces Act during the regular session of the National Diet next year to allow the transfer of used weapons to foreign nations.
Following the abolition of existing weapon export regulations that were limited to non-combat purposes and the in-principle authorization of lethal weapon exports on April 21, the plan aims to enable the transfer of used weapons and ammunition utilized by the Self-Defense Forces, such as frigates, to other countries.
This measure is reportedly aimed particularly at the Philippines and Indonesia, which have shown interest in Japan’s used weapons.
The greatest concern lies with the domestic shipbuilding industry, which has been intensively targeting the Southeast Asian naval vessel market. South Korea has dedicated significant effort, exporting Jose Rizal-class (2600 tons) frigates to the Philippines and Nagapasa-class (1400 tons) submarines to Indonesia.
However, if Japan provides used frigates and submarines free of charge or at low prices, it could present an attractive option for countries with relatively insufficient defense budgets.
The shipbuilding industry assesses that even if Japan’s used and free exports do not immediately and directly replace domestic shipbuilders’ orders for new naval vessels, they could fill the short-term power vacuum of Southeast Asian countries, thereby potentially acting as a variable that delays the timing of orders or budget allocations to some extent.
Furthermore, if developing countries show interest in adopting low-cost equipment, Japan could enjoy the ‘market-first advantage,’ which is the core of defense exports, marking another area of concern for the domestic defense industry. In addition to this, the drone production cooperation between the United States and Japan is a point worth noting. Japanese media, including Kyodo News, recently reported that a plan is being pursued to produce drones developed by a United States startup in Japan.
The project was introduced as the first cooperative venture while the United States and Japanese governments solidify their defense development cooperation. This illustrates that the United States and Japan are growing closer through the production of advanced weapons such as drones.
Drones belong to a representative ‘dual-use technology’ that can be utilized for both military and civilian purposes. Accordingly, this cooperation appears intended to check China, which has dominated the global drone market, and to strengthen the defense product supply chain by leveraging the strengths of both nations.
While the United States possesses the world’s leading technology in software aspects such as artificial intelligence (AI), its manufacturing base has collapsed, preventing this from translating into smooth production. Analysis indicates that the United States is attempting to break through this limitation by cooperating with Japan, a traditional ‘manufacturing powerhouse.’ This is also evident in how Palantir, which is evaluated as having played a decisive role in implanting AI into United States defense capabilities, has recently been increasing its points of contact with the Japanese government.
The Mainichi Shimbun explained that instances of Peter Thiel, Chairman of Palantir Technologies, contacting key Japanese government officials are increasing, such as his meeting with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the official residence last month.
However, there is also a perspective emphasizing that South Korean-made weapons have built reliability through multiple actual deployment experiences and strict adherence to delivery dates. The reasoning is that although Japan is a nation equipped with advanced technological capabilities, it does not yet possess weapons with performance significantly verified in the global market, meaning it will not be able to threaten South Korea immediately.
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