A favorable view on exporting equipment that includes potentially lethal weapons has been announced by the government, as long as the items fall under one of the five categories specified as exportable under the current operational guidelines.
The Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology establishes five areas, including rescue, transportation, vigilance, surveillance or minesweeping.
The move was announced at the Diet on Wednesday by a working group of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Komeito. Ministers of the Defence Ministry, National Security Secretariat and other relevant bodies also participated in the meeting.
The governments position could pave the way to easing the nations' restrictions related to defense equipment exports, enabling the export of any equipment mounted with weapons as defined by the Self-Defense Forces Law. The caveat is that any such equipment must be intended for activities that fall under one of the five categories or are within the scope necessary for self-protection when conducting those activities.
Such instances could include export ships for conducting operations to maintain vigilance or surveillance, mounted with guns to deal with suspicious vessels, or minesweepers being fitted with ordnance to clear sea mines.
Japan's government also holds the view that it would be desirable to let the transfer or export of defense-related equipment, which Japan will develop together with other nations, be mutually beneficial. Concrete rules will be drawn up quickly on the matter, a move made out of consideration that Japan could export to third nations the next-generation fighter jet it is jointly developing with Britain and Italy.
The ruling party's working group gathered a document last month addressing issues regarding the country's restrictions on defense equipment exports. On Wednesday, the government of the LDP responded to the document by expressing similar views. Although some LDP members wanted the five specified categories eliminated, Komeito said they were adamant that these were kept in place. Both parties will continue talks with the working group and find common ground on several issues.