Japan Lifts Defense Spending to 2% of GDP, Expands $275 Billion Rearmament With US
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 27
Japan Lifts Defense Spending to 2% of GDP, Expands $275 Billion Rearmament With US
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 27
Summary
Japan reached 2% of GDP in defense spending in 2026—two years ahead of schedule—after military outlays rose 9.7% to $62.2 billion in 2025.
That buildup sits inside a roughly $275 billion five-year defense program through 2027, driven by Tokyo’s push to deter China and strengthen supply-chain security with Washington.
U.S.-Japan weapons cooperation is widening as the allies expand AIM-120 AMRAAM co-production, plan a fourfold increase in SM-3 Block IIA interceptor output in Japan, and integrate 400 U.S. Tomahawk missiles into Japan’s navy.
Japan already hosts about 60,000 U.S. service members and contractors plus 35,000 civilians, while covering roughly 75% of basing costs—about $1.5 billion a year under the current agreement.
The deeper military and industrial alignment reflects a broader hardening toward Beijing after repeated Senkaku incursions, critical-minerals restrictions and detentions of Japanese businessmen.
With Japan rapidly militarizing and facing critical missile shortages, could this massive defense shift trigger the exact Pacific conflict it aims to prevent?
As China restricts vital tech minerals, can the US and Japan rebuild a secure supply chain before an AI-driven crisis strikes the region?
Japan is building its first centralized spy agency since WWII, but will this historic overhaul be enough to unlock the exclusive Five Eyes network?