Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party has released a draft version of a revised national constitution. The new document removes World War II-imposed restrictions that have kept Japanese forces in a purely self-defense role. Under the new guidance, they would officially be free to join international peacekeeping ventures. (Read our story here about Japan’s wake-up call from its Cold War strategic slumber.)
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.