Japan eyes record defense budget of about 9 trillion yen for FY 2026

Japan is considering allocating about 9 trillion yen ($58 billion) for next fiscal year's defense budget, including plans to deploy long-range missiles and drones, sources close to the matter said Friday.The figure would surpass the record 8.7 trillion yen in the initial budget for the current fiscal year starting April, as Japan faces mounting security challenges from China and North Korea and U.S. President Donald Trump's demands for higher security spending.The government's draft initial budget for fiscal 2026, the fourth year of its five-year, 43-trillion-yen defense buildup plan, is ex…READ FULL ARTICLE