Key facts
- Japan's Defense Ministry plans to boost production of ammunition and drones, Jiji Press reported.
- The ministry will consider government-owned, contractor-operated production systems and financial support for private companies, per Jiji Press.
- The ministry plans to weigh converting civilian component lines to defense production and to increase procurement from allied countries, Jiji Press reported.
- The government sees defense industry exits as a risk to stable equipment supply, Jiji Press reported.
Japan's Defense Ministry outlined a plan to strengthen production systems for defense equipment so the country can secure sustainment capability in wartime, Jiji Press reported on November 11, 2026. The ministry presented the plan at a joint meeting of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's National Defense Division and Research Commission on Security.
The ministry said it will mainly consider introducing government-owned, contractor-operated systems and providing financial support to private companies. It intends to establish systems in peacetime that would allow production to be increased rapidly during emergencies.
The plan covers boosting output of ammunition and drones, considering conversion of civilian component production lines to defense use, promoting transfers of defense equipment to foreign countries and increasing procurement from allied and like-minded countries, according to Jiji Press.
The ministry plans to set out details in the country's three key national security-related documents, which are scheduled to be revised by the end of the year. Jiji Press reported that the government regards the difficulty of expecting steady peacetime demand, and the resulting exit of companies from the defense industry, as a risk that could undermine stable supply of defense equipment.