Japan approves air force reorganization to boost space defense

TOKYO - Japan's parliament on Friday enacted legislation to reorganize and rename the Air Self-Defense Force, adding "space" to its official name as part of a broader effort to strengthen the country's space defense capabilities amid a rapidly changing security environment.

The restructured unit, to be launched during the fiscal year ending March 2027, will establish a space operations group under the command of a lieutenant general to improve space domain awareness and satellite surveillance capabilities.