On Nov. 20, Minister of Defense Taro Kono toured the Defense and Security Equipment International (DSEI), a defense equipment exhibition held at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, and inspected the defense hardware showcased there, including radar for land-based Aegis Ashore batteries, which Japan plans to deploy.  

At the Lockheed Martin booth, Kono received an explanation of the SPY-7 (previously known as SSR) Aegis Ashore radar using a model exhibited there. He also participated in a simulated flight on an unmanned plane made by an Israeli aircraft manufacturer.

After the tour, he praised foreign companies on Twitter, saying that “the way Japanese and foreign firms presented their products was completely different.”