Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Tuesday visited the Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF)¡¯s Fuchu base to mainly inspect the Space Operations Group, which monitors space activities.

During the visit to the base in the suburbs of Tokyo, Koizumi received a briefing on the current situation and issues.

¡°Technological development, such as jamming and disabling the satellites of other countries, is intensifying,¡± Koizumi told reporters, expressing his intention to continue improving Japan¡¯s surveillance capabilities.

The Defense Ministry is pursuing a policy to strengthen its capabilities, recognizing the growing importance of the space domain for national security and maintaining the foundations of people¡¯s lives.

The ministry also intends to reorganize the ASDF into the ¡°Aerospace¡± SDF and upgrade the Space Operations Group into a space operations corps in fiscal 2026.