The new guideline scraps those limits and allows the export of equipment such as fighter jets, missiles and destroyers. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Japan on Tuesday (April 21, 2026) endorsed scrapping a ban on lethal weapons exports, a major change of its postwar pacifist policy as the country seeks to build up its arms industry and deepen cooperation with defense partners.
The approval by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Cabinet of the new guideline clears a final set of hurdles for Japan’s postwar arms sales.
Published – April 21, 2026 09:12 am IST
