TOKYO - Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told senior members of the Self-Defense Forces on Wednesday that Japan wants to speed up the use of artificial intelligence and unmanned defense assets ahead of the planned year-end revision of three key national security documents.
"It goes without saying that we should introduce even more speedily" technologies that develop at a completely different pace from traditional equipment, such as AI and unmanned defense assets, Takaichi said as commander in chief of the SDF.
Takaichi said the planned revised documents, in less than four years since the previous update in 2022, "will set out a new direction for strengthening defense capabilities," as the security environment becomes more complex and countries rush to build systems integrating AI and operate unmanned aircraft on a large scale.
The current National Security Strategy and two other defense-related documents formulated in 2022 were designed to cover the next 10 years, but Takaichi has decided to move up the timetable to address changes in the security environment, with challenges posed by China and North Korea.
Japan also faces pressure from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to increase defense spending.
Earlier this week, the Defense Ministry submitted a record budget request of 8.89 trillion yen ($55 billion) for fiscal 2027 starting April, with plans to develop low-cost attack drones and introduce AI into the SDF's command structure.
"The activities of the SDF and the fundamental strengthening of defense capabilities that the government is currently pushing forward cannot happen without the understanding and cooperation of the public," Takaichi said.
She also vowed to improve working conditions for SDF members amid ongoing shortages.
In the previous revision, Japan decided to acquire counterstrike capabilities, marking a major shift from its exclusively defense-oriented policy under the war-renouncing Constitution, and set a goal of defense spending that equals 2 percent of GDP.
The meeting of the Defense Ministry and Self-Defense Force Command Personnel was convened for the first time since Takaichi took office in October last year.
It was first held in 1964 and typically convened annually until September 2019, with a remote gathering held in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic.
