editorial

Japan has recently staged the combined military exercise of the Ground, Maritime and Air "Self-Defense Forces" on the largest scale in collusion with the US and Australia.

The actual manoeuvres were conducted across Japan in late October with an involvement of about 52 300 SDF troops, 5 900 US troops and 230 Australian troops and about 60 SDF warships, 310 warplanes and others.

The SDF warplanes were deployed at two airports in Wakayama and Kagoshima prefectures for the first time and many other civil airports and harbours were used for the drill.

For Japan, a war criminal state and a defeated nation, the possession of combat power is strictly forbidden by international law and by its present constitution.

However, it has staged joint military drills with the armed forces of various countries including NATO, not content with crying out for the revision of the constitution while persistently making every attempt to realize its revanchist ambition for overseas reinvasion for 80 years since its defeat.

It has resorted to every possible means and method to boost its military cooperation with other countries, including the agreement reached between Japan and the US on the joint production of the latest air-to-air missile AIM-120 when the US secretary of Defense visited Japan, the ongoing joint development of the next-generation fighter planes with the UK and Italy, the joint development of a new-type warship with Australia, the joint research with the US to put a microwave weapon to practical use and the joint maintenance and repair of US warships and aircraft.

In order to get closer to the environment in which it can translate into action the war of aggression by reinforcing and reorganizing its military strength and modernizing its armed forces according to the "national security strategy", "national defense strategy" and "defense capability buildup outline", Japan is developing and deploying all kinds of preemptive attack means and massively purchasing such strike means as medium-range air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface long-range cruise missiles from the US.

The Japanese Ministry of Defense expected the largest "defense expenditure" in history in the draft budget for the 2026 fiscal year in order to further bolster up the capabilities to fight a war.

As a result, the SDF is now rapidly changing into a typical offensive and aggression force.

But Japan, a war criminal state, should not act rashly.

Japan's moves for overseas reinvasion only precipitate its self-destruction.