Establishing the "Cosmic Combat Group" Affects Global Strategic Stability, Japan's Air Self-Defense Force Renaming Reveals Space Ambitions

[Global Times Special Correspondent Chen Yang, Global Times Reporter Liu Yang] In order to develop offensive military capabilities, Japan has been continuously investing heavily in new areas such as space and cyberspace in recent years. According to a report by the Nikkei on the 14th, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force will be restructured into the "Aerospace Self-Defense Force" in the fiscal year 2026, marking the first name change since the establishment of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Maritime Self-Defense Force, and Air Self-Defense Force in 1954. Chinese experts interviewed by the Global Times stated that the name change of the Air Self-Defense Force reflects Japan's ambition to further develop offensive capabilities and promote the militarization of space. Given that Japan's space capabilities are unlikely to achieve significant breakthroughs in the short term, the Self-Defense Forces may strengthen cooperation with the U.S. Space Force, posing challenges to regional stability.

Space as a Key Development Direction for the Self-Defense Forces

The report mentioned that the amendment to the Self-Defense Forces Law, submitted to promote the reorganization of the Air Self-Defense Force, is currently under review by the Japanese Diet. Once the bill is passed, the main operational domain of the Self-Defense Forces will expand to include space.

It was introduced that, constrained by Japan's "Peace Constitution" and its limited space capabilities, the Self-Defense Forces had previously moved slowly into the space domain. After the establishment of the U.S. Space Force in 2018, discussions began in Japan's defense community about the possibility of cultivating space combat capabilities based on the Air Self-Defense Force. In May 2020, the Japanese Ministry of Defense established the first and second "Space Operations Squadrons" at the Air Self-Defense Force's bases in Fuchu, Tokyo, and Hofu North, Yamaguchi Prefecture, each consisting of about 20 personnel, primarily tasked with research-oriented missions. In March 2022, the Ministry of Defense formed a "Space Operations Group" based on the two "Space Operations Squadrons," with its command post located at the Fuchu base and an initial strength of about 70 personnel. By March 2026, this unit will further expand into a "Space Operations Regiment," increasing its personnel to 670. According to current plans, in the fiscal year 2026, this unit will upgrade to a "Space Operations Group," expanding its size to 880 personnel.

Due to its current limited capabilities, the highest-ranking official of the Space Operations Regiment, Koji Ishii, stated that the unit's role is not to engage directly with enemies in space, but primarily to protect and maintain space infrastructure that supports daily life, such as the various systems behind smartphones and in-car navigation systems. From a military perspective, this also includes monitoring suspicious activities that may interfere with missile defense.

However, the expansion of the Self-Defense Forces' operational scope into space is clearly not solely for "defensive purposes." An analysis by the U.S. think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in May mentioned that the Japanese government’s budget for space in the fiscal year 2026 has already exceeded 1 trillion yen, equivalent to over 6 billion dollars, "with the Ministry of Defense rapidly increasing its investment in space capabilities." The report noted that the updated "Three Security Documents" planned by the Japanese government also list the space domain as a priority. "Japan's increased investment in space is because the Ministry of Defense is developing what is called 'counterstrike capability,' which refers to the preemptive strike capability against enemy bases that Japan has previously advocated. Japan needs a system that can help them locate targets, assess whether targets have been hit, and, if necessary, strike targets again, and space-based intelligence collection, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities can meet this need." CSIS also mentioned that Japan plans to develop capabilities for missile warning and tracking, space situational awareness, satellite communications, and other technologies, which are crucial for Japan's offensive capabilities.

Further Strengthening Cooperation with the U.S. Space Force

The Nikkei explicitly mentioned that the Self-Defense Forces' development of space capabilities will maintain close cooperation with the U.S. Space Force, which has strong capabilities in the collection, analysis, and assessment of satellite-related information.

From its inception, the personnel configuration and operational planning of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Space Operations Regiment have clearly emulated the U.S. Space Force. Starting in 2023, Japan and the U.S. announced that the collective self-defense clause of their alliance would be expanded to the space domain. The two sides also regularly conduct joint exercises such as "Space Flag" and plan to share "Starlink" services to provide high-speed communication support for the Self-Defense Forces. Currently, the U.S. and Japan have finalized plans for joint development of a low Earth orbit satellite network and plan to collaborate on cutting-edge technologies such as hypersonic weapon tracking.

Therefore, it is expected that after the Japan Air Self-Defense Force is renamed the Aerospace Self-Defense Force, it will engage in more joint exercises, joint training, and even joint operations with the U.S. Space Force, extending the U.S.-Japan military alliance into the space domain.

According to a report by the U.S. Stars and Stripes on June 3, the new commander of the U.S. Space Force in Japan, Colonel John Patrick, stated during his inauguration ceremony that the Space Force command currently deployed at U.S. Air Force bases in Japan will have its own independent headquarters within the next year, and its personnel will also expand fourfold. He also explicitly supported the renaming of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force to the Aerospace Self-Defense Force. As a newly established independent functional department of the U.S. Department of Defense and a newly formed force in the Indo-Pacific region, the U.S. Space Force in Japan is officially described as having the mission of "enhancing aerospace capabilities for Japan and other partner countries." This unit is the second subordinate force of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Space Force, established after the U.S. Space Force in South Korea in 2022, and in addition to meeting the needs of the U.S. forces stationed in Japan, supporting the development of Japan's Ministry of Defense's aerospace institutions and capabilities is also a core task of this unit.

It is worth noting that Patrick mentioned in his inaugural speech that "space is a highly dynamic combat domain filled with confrontation, and adversaries are rapidly expanding their anti-space capabilities." Experts interviewed by the Global Times stated that such remarks directly reflect the U.S. military's attitude toward advancing the militarization of space. In April 2025, the U.S. Space Force first systematically defined the concept of "space warfare," clearly viewing space as a "theater of operations" that needs to be actively seized for advantage, with its core objective shifting from being merely a "supporter" to pursuing an integrated offensive and defensive combat force for "space superiority." Therefore, the Japan Aerospace Self-Defense Force, which was established by emulating the U.S. Space Force and is attempting to strengthen U.S.-Japan cooperation in the space domain, will inevitably also prioritize the development of space combat capabilities as a future direction.

Japan's Space Ambitions Are Abundant, but Capabilities Are Insufficient

Experts interviewed by the Global Times stated that some of Japan's space technologies are at the world-leading level, such as Japan's continuous development and deployment of multiple generations of optical reconnaissance satellites and radar reconnaissance satellites in recent years, with the optical 8 satellite achieving a maximum resolution of 0.3 meters, already at the world's advanced level; Japan's own "Quasi-Zenith" satellite navigation network has also improved the positioning accuracy and range in the surrounding areas of Japan, providing assurance for Japan's independent military operations. On May 14, Japan's Defense Minister Yoshihide Suga admitted in the Senate Cabinet Committee that a low Earth orbit military reconnaissance network composed of multiple small satellites, known as the "satellite constellation," was officially activated in April.

However, experts pointed out that on the other hand, Japan's overall space capabilities still have many deficiencies and are in a stage of rapid expansion but not yet mature in developing space combat. For example, Japan has obvious shortcomings in critical space launch capabilities and advanced satellite mass production. Currently, Japan's main launch vehicle, the H3, has been launched 8 times, with 6 successes and 2 failures, resulting in a success rate of only 75%. At the same time, Japan's annual space launch frequency is only in single digits, largely relying on U.S. assistance.

Many Japanese citizens have questioned the government's continuous expansion of the so-called "security guarantee" domain and increased defense spending, believing that this will further squeeze the budget for people's livelihoods and increase the burden on the public. Recently, Tomoko Tamura, chairperson of the Japanese Communist Party, criticized in a parliamentary debate that the Self-Defense Forces formally undertaking space combat missions will further incorporate space into the realm of military competition, potentially exacerbating the arms race in space.

The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Defense, Jiang Bin, also criticized Japan's actions to strengthen its capabilities in the space domain. He stated that in recent years, Japan has been moving further down the path of military expansion. The Japanese authorities continue to increase funding, colluding with other countries to conduct joint military exercises in space, building a military intelligence system in space, and under the guise of defense seeking to develop and deploy space weapons, leading to an increased risk of weaponization of space and an arms race in space, negatively impacting global strategic stability. Japan's attempts to seek military deregulation in the space domain and retrace the old path of militarism go against the historical trend and the current global situation, and the international community should be highly vigilant and strongly curb such moves.