Japan will shift its defense doctrine toward denying an invasion outright, the government told a joint working group on Tuesday, as the ruling parties opened talks on rewriting the three security documents due at the end of the year.
The Liberal Democratic Party and Nippon Ishin no Kai held the first meeting of the working group at the Diet. The group is preparing revisions to the National Security Strategy and two related documents.
The government said it will raise Japan's "denial capability" (kyohi-ryoku) — the ability to stop an incursion and make an adversary think twice about attacking. That marks a move away from a posture built on presence alone.
Eight pillars for the defense strategy
The government plans to emphasize four capabilities, including the use of drones and a "sustained combat capability" (keisen noryoku) — the ability to keep fighting through a protracted war. It will also stress four supporting foundations: personnel and the defense industry among them.
Those eight elements will form the core of the National Defense Strategy, one of the three documents, the government said. The other two are the National Security Strategy and the defense buildup program.