According to the Ministry of Defense website, on the afternoon of July 9, Vice Admiral Chen Xi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, issued a statement regarding recent military-related issues.
A journalist asked a question. According to reports, the Japanese Senate recently passed an amendment to the Defense Ministry Establishment Act, changing the name of the Air Self-Defense Force to the “Air and Space Self-Defense Force”, and establishing the “Space Operations Group” as part of this change. What is your comment on this?
Chen Xi stated that in recent years, Japan has openly used space as a combat domain, extending its military expansion ambitions into space. Military investment in related fields has increased tenfold within five years, and military forces have expanded by more than 30 times. These actions accelerate the weaponization and battlefield integration of space, stimulating an arms race in space. They also once again demonstrate that Japan’s ‘new type of militarism’ has become a clear and real threat. The lasting peace and security of space are related to the safety, development, and prosperity of all nations. Peace-loving people should be highly vigilant against Japan’s dangerous actions in the space domain, firmly counteracting Japan’s right-wing forces from accelerating ‘re-militarization,’ and safeguarding the common home of all mankind.
According to previous reports, on June 26 local time, the Japanese Senate officially passed amendments to the Defense Ministry Establishment Act. The 72-year-old Air Self-Defense Force will be reorganized into the Aerospace Self-Defense Force. It was also decided to establish a dedicated space operations unit called the Space Operations Group, officially expanding the area of operation to outer space.
In recent years, the Japanese Defense Ministry has been continuously strengthening its response in the field of space. In May 2020, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency established the "Space Operations Team" at its Fuji Base in Tokyo. This team is responsible for monitoring whether satellites pose any risks, and it consists of approximately 20 members.
In March 2022, the "Cosmic Operations Team" was further expanded to the "Cosmic Operations Group", with the number of members increasing to approximately 310. On March 29th of this year, this specialized unit was upgraded to the "Cosmic Operations Corps", with the number of members increasing to approximately 670. In the future, after being upgraded again to the "Cosmic Operations Group", the expected size will be around 880 members.
