Japan plans to expand the Air Self-Defense Force's "security" scope to space.

On June 14, Xinhua News Agency reported from Tokyo (reporters Li Ziyue and Liu Jieqiu) that the Japanese government plans to reorganize the Air Self-Defense Force into the "Aerospace Self-Defense Force" within the fiscal year 2026, further extending Japan's "security" scope outward. This move has sparked strong concerns among the Japanese public regarding military expansion.

According to the report, the relevant bill is currently under review in the National Diet, and if passed, it will mark the first change in the name of the Self-Defense Forces since the establishment of the Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces in 1954. The report points out that the Japanese government's action aims to officially position "space" as one of the operational domains of the Self-Defense Forces, stating, "This is not just a change of name, but an important milestone in the expansion of Japan's security concept."

Previously, the Japan Self-Defense Forces had formed a unit specifically responsible for space operations, which has been gradually expanded. This unit began as the "Space Operations Squadron" established in 2020, initially comprising about 20 personnel. The "Space Operations Squadron" was reorganized into the "Space Operations Group" in 2022 and further expanded into the "Space Operations Brigade" in March 2026, increasing its personnel to 670. It is expected that in the fiscal year 2026, this unit will be upgraded to the "Space Operations Group" (tentative name), with personnel increasing to approximately 880.

These developments continue to raise concerns among the Japanese public. In the comments section of news articles, many Japanese netizens question the government's continuous expansion of the so-called "security" domain and increased defense spending, believing that this will further squeeze the budget for people's livelihoods and increase the burden on the public. Tomoko Tamura, chairperson of the Japanese Communist Party, recently pointed out in a parliamentary debate that the government's actions mean that the Self-Defense Forces will officially undertake space combat missions, further incorporating space into the realm of military competition, which may exacerbate the space arms race.