Japan is taking lessons on “new ways of warfare” gleaned from the Ukraine and Iran conflicts and making them its own, with the government considering making “new ways of defense” a key tenet of revisions to the country’s security policy.
But it is also aiming to win public support for its military buildup in the ostensibly pacifist nation, a goal that is evident in the verbal gymnastics officials have performed as the term “new ways of defense” (atarashii mamorikata) — as opposed to “ new ways of warfare” (atarashii tatakaikata) — becomes more prominent in briefings, speeches and official documents.
The concept of “new ways of warfare,” which emerged following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and references the large-scale use of drones, missiles and artificial intelligence, has been adopted by Japan and scores of other nations. It has gained further prominence among defense planners with the large-scale use of drones and missiles in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.