Daisuke Sato

Daisuke Sato oversees coverage of Asia with a focus on Japan and China. As Section Editor, he is responsible for curating regional news, verifying sources, and delivering sharp insight into military developments across the Indo-Pacific. His expertise strengthens our reporting from one of the most strategically contested regions in the world.
Aviation

Cardboard drones are now part of Japan’s military arsenal

Japan's Defense Minister met with the team behind one of the country's more unconventional defense startups — a company building military drones out of cardboard — and the conversation signals where Tokyo thinks its unmanned future is...
Army

Chinese new DF-27 hypersonic missile launchers spotted in urban area

Videos and images circulating on the Chinese social media platform Weibo show a convoy of multiple mobile missile launchers traveling through what appears to be a Chinese city, with open-source analysts identifying the vehicles as probable transporter-erector-launchers...
Aviation

Japanese startup develops Shiraha drone for under $450 per unit

A Japanese defense technology startup has begun offering a domestically produced fixed-wing drone, with a unit cost of approximately 70,000 yen — roughly $450 at current exchange rates. JISDA, formally known as Japan Integrated Security Design Agency and...
Maritime Security

Another South Korean defense firm enters U.S. market

South Korean defense and aerospace company LIG Defense & Aerospace — known as LIG D&A — announced on April 8, 2026, the establishment of its first American subsidiary, LIG Defense U.S. Inc. The new entity, to be referred...
Aviation

Japan buys drones to replace Apache fleet

Japan's fiscal year 2026 defense budget, enacted on April 7, includes ¥11.1 billion ($69.7 million) earmarked for the acquisition of five "wide-area UAVs" for the Ground Self-Defense Force, according to budget documents published by the Ministry of Defense. The...
Army

Japan deploys first domestic long-range missiles

Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) on Tuesday confirmed the first operational deployment of domestically developed stand-off missiles, formally fielding the newly designated Type-25 surface-to-ship missile and Type-25 hyper velocity gliding projectile (HVGP) as part of the country’s...
Aviation

Japan scrambles fighters to intercept new Chinese submarine hunter

Japan’s Ministry of Defense said on March 28 that the Air Self-Defense Force scrambled fighter aircraft after a Chinese military patrol aircraft flew over the East China Sea. The ministry said one aircraft was detected flying southwest of...
Aviation

Taiwan Army replaces OH-58D helicopters with drones

Taiwan’s Army is preparing to establish dedicated JUMP 20 unmanned aerial vehicle units within its aviation brigades as part of a force restructuring plan that would gradually replace the long-serving OH-58D Kiowa Warrior fleet, according to a...
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