What Happened
Tokyo Seeks Overseas Expertise to Counter China's Growing Power
Japan is turning to foreign companies to accelerate its military modernization, seeking to plug defense gaps that could be critical in a potential conflict involving China. The country has signed a contract for Ukrainian interceptor drones and a multinational fighter consortium is preparing to expand its design operations in Japan. French defense giant Thales is also planning a foreign-run military maintenance facility, according to the South China Morning Post.