In an effort to allocate 43 trillion yen for the five-year defence buildup plan against escalating Chinese aggression in the region, the Japanese government plans to increase defence spending by 1 trillion yen ($7.34 billion) to roughly 6.5 trillion yen in the next fiscal year.
Japan has also indicated that it will extend its defence and maritime cooperation with a number of south-east Asian nations, including India.
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According to the most recent media sources, Japan has suggested developing maritime drones for the surveillance of the Indian Ocean Region and the South China Sea in collaboration with India.
The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) has acquired the first of three Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawk drones and is investing more heavily in the development of human and unmanned surveillance platforms to monitor the Chinese Navy.
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Japan has not verified the type of drones platforms it intends to build with India, but it is eager to provide India a number of its marine defence systems and platforms in an effort to strengthen security cooperation between the two nations.
