Yomiuri, Nikkei, and Mainichi reported on Prime Minister Abe’s remarks at an annual gathering of high-ranking SDF officers held on Tuesday at the Defense Ministry. He reportedly expressed his administration’s plans to strengthen Japan’s defense in space and cyberspace. He reportedly said a space unit will be established in the ASDF next year and it is conceivable for the ASDF to evolve into the “Air and Space SDF.”

In a related story, Nikkei wrote that Defense Minister Kono told the senior SDF officers at the same gathering that the U.S.-Japan alliance is the linchpin of Japan’s security and that he will make efforts to strengthen the deterrence and responsiveness of the bilateral alliance.