Photo/Illutration Shigeki Sato, chairman of the Komeito Diet Affairs Committee, speaks at a meeting of a working-level group for the revision of the national security strategy on Aug. 23. (Koichi Ueda)

The government is considering scrapping a long-held pacifistic principle to allow exporting weapons with lethal capabilities directly to third countries as discussed at a ruling coalition working-level meeting on Aug. 23.

Officials from the Defense Ministry and the National Security Secretariat presented the government’s stance at the meeting.

The government has in mind next-generation fighter jets, which Japan is jointly developing with Britain and Italy.

A member of the working-level group said, “If Japan cannot directly export, the volume in circulation of the next-generation fighter jets will decrease and not become mainstream in the world.”

Britain has reportedly urged Japan to allow direct exports. A senior official at the Japanese prime minister’s office said, “If direct exports are not allowed, it will hinder joint development.”

Japan's current “three principles on transfer of defense equipment and technology” allow exports of lethal weapons only to countries that are jointly developing or producing defense equipment.

The rules prohibit direct exports to third countries. When Japan’s development partners export to third countries, they need to gain the consent of the Japanese government for exporting the weapons.

However, the government suggested allowing the “direct transfer of next-generation fighter jets and their components to third countries,” in the meeting of the working-level group of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, Komeito.

The government also suggested allowing the export of components, saying that parts are not considered weapons. The intent is to export used engines of the Air Self-Defense Force’s aging F-15 fighter jets, which will be increasingly decommissioned.

The ruling coalition’s working group had been debating relaxing restrictions on arms exports since April in response to the revisions to three key security policy documents last year.

The group compiled an interim report in July saying, “The majority of the participants agreed that discussions should proceed in the direction of allowing direct transfers to third countries.”

Komeito, which had been cautious about weapons exports, also showed certain understanding.

“We should give careful consideration to ensure that Japan’s own restrictions do not hinder joint development,” said Kazuo Kitagawa, deputy chief of Komeito.

The working-level group was initially scheduled to resume its discussions in autumn or later. But the schedule was moved up at the instructions of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

At the Aug. 23 meeting, the government presented its stance on the points raised in the interim report.

Along with the next-generation fighter jets, there is another focus on export expansion.

Under the current three principles, defense equipment of only five categories--rescue, transport, warning, surveillance and minesweeping--can be sold to Japan’s security partners.

In the meeting, the government told the ruling coalition working-level group that weapons with lethal capabilities could be exported as long as they are required for defense or activities that fall into these categories.

It is considering weapons such as cannons that can be fired for clearing mines.

During Diet deliberations in April, “The transfer of defense equipment intended to directly kill or injure people is not basically assumed to fall into these five categories,” said Hideki Tsuchimoto, then commissioner of the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency.

However, without discussion in the Diet, the government is attempting to swiftly proceed with a major shift in security policy.

(This article was written by Anri Takahashi and Nobuhiko Tajima.)

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