On August 31, details emerged of several measures in the Japanese Ministry of Defense’s roughly 8.9 trillion yen (approximately USD 55.7 billion) budget request for fiscal 2027 that could have a sizable effect on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the country’s defense-industrial base.
Among JMOD’s numerous unpriced “item requests,” for which concrete funding is expected to be allocated in a finalized budget that could total 10 trillion yen (approx. USD 62.6 billion) in light of the government’s strategic review due by year-end, is a new equity investment support scheme for defense industry restructuring projects.[1]
According to reports just prior to the budget request’s publication, this scheme is partly aimed at curbing a trend of companies withdrawing from Japan’s defense sector and is likely to provide investment support for those SMEs that consolidate their defense business.[2]
At the same time, JMOD is also planning to establish a new agency to support retirees of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). One of the key mandates for the prospective body would be to assist in the re-employment of JSDF retirees[3] – the vast majority of whom, according to the ministry’s latest statistics, find work in the private sector.[4]
These two efforts are in turn set to be coupled with a drive to support defense exports. The new defense budget also outlines JMOD plans to establish a new state-backed organization that, in addition to supporting the domestic base and promoting defense innovation, will assist with defense equipment transfers.[5]
Although no specific funding amounts are given for these three measures in the JMOD budget request, they could – in theory – help form a mechanism in which: 1) the government provides state-backed investment for SME business consolidation, 2) retired JSDF personnel are re-employed into surviving defense-related SMEs, and 3) these firms are then provided with opportunities for overseas expansion by a state-backed organization.
1) State-backed Investment Scheme for SME Consolidation
JMOD’s equity-investment scheme for defense industry restructuring could incentivize consolidation by SMEs that find it difficult to remain profitable or otherwise face the challenge of independently producing increasingly sophisticated defense equipment.[6]
Although around 10,000 SMEs currently participate in Japan’s defense industry, it is estimated that more than 100 firms have withdrawn from the sector over the last two decades.
The government has in recent years enacted numerous initiatives aimed at reversing this trend, including a system introduced in 2023 that provides direct subsidies for capital investment by SMEs.
While there have been some positive signs indicating that the trend of withdrawal could be reversing ,[7] the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) – JMOD’s defense procurement arm – has as recently as February emphasised the criticality of the situation facing the defense industry.[8]
Several policy movements in recent months have thus pointed to JMOD’s latest equity-investment scheme expected to target SMEs for consolidation.
It was back in September 2025 that an expert panel assembled by JMOD called for greater government intervention in the sector, including the promotion of “corporate consolidation” for SMEs, which in turn tend to be faced with “sustainability” issues.[9]
Then, in June of this year, an LDP panel – while not specifically addressing SME consolidation – nevertheless recommended that the government consider equity-investment mechanisms (in addition to state-owned facilities) as part of efforts to strengthen Japan’s defense industrial base.[10]
This call in turn followed a move in May by the Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) to relax restrictions preventing businesses that manufacture weapons or weapon-related products from receiving investment. Notably, Japan’s Defense Minister welcomed the move as helping to strengthen the defense industry and urged other investors to follow suit.[11]
JMOD’s prospective state-backed investment system targeting defense-industry restructuring – likely to include SME consolidation – therefore represents one component of the government’s broader financing and restructuring efforts.
Ensuring the viability of the surviving and consolidated SMEs, however, will also depend on their ability to secure a sufficient workforce.
2) Re-Employment Support for JSDF Retirees Entering the Private Sector
JMOD’s plans for an agency dedicated to supporting retired JSDF personnel are expected to include the assignment of a senior official whose duties will include overseeing support measures for the re-employment of retired JSDF personnel.[12]The defense sector, and its large number of SMEs, could feasibly form an important target area for this work.
In June, a proposal from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) called for the expanded use of retired JSDF personnel in relation to measures for strengthening Japan’s defense production and technology base.
Keidanren, Japan’s largest business federation, has also stressed that the defense industry is no exception to broader labor shortages affecting the Japanese private sector and has asserted a need for defense companies to expand their recruitment channels.[13]
Notably, JMOD efforts to expand private-sector employment opportunities for former JSDF personnel have already targeted defense-associated industries.
Last year, the defense ministry worked with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to urge the Japan Association of Defense Industry (JADI), the Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies (SJAC), and other associations representing SMEs in manufacturing and other fields to encourage greater recruitment of retired JSDF personnel.[14]
JMOD’s prospective JSDF retiree support agency could therefore enable such work to be done more comprehensively, especially in the case of startups and SMEs that hold promising technologies. If employed by such firms, retired JSDF personnel could feasibly play a key role in helping bridge the gap between the needs of the JSDF and the technology seeds held by their employers.
Targeting the defense sector for JSDF retiree recruitment assistance could in this way help JMOD to implement its new “agile procurement programs”: the Fast Pass scheme and the Small/Startup Business Innovation Research (SBIR) framework. Together, these entail putting equipment in the hands of JSDF units to provide feedback, a process for which JSDF retirees with requisite operational expertise could help facilitate on the startup and SME side.
The Fast Pass and SBIR agile procurement programs ultimately aim to help startups and SMEs transition their technologies to the mass production phase. This could in turn lead to more opportunities for export.
3) State-Backed Organization for Defense Exports
JMOD explains in its fiscal 2027 budget request that the prospective state-backed organization for supporting Japan’s defense industry is set to be tasked with providing integrated assistance covering the promotion of overseas exports, efforts to strengthen the domestic production base, and support for defense innovation.[15]
JMOD’s proposal follows a call made in June by the LDP for the establishment of such an entity, to be provided with the necessary personnel and funds and equipped with various support tools for industry, including equity investment and lending.[16]
While further details on the structure and duties of the prospective organization have yet to emerge, it is not unfeasible that the body could be equipped with tools to support those startups and SMEs with with defense-related technologies in finding export opportunities abroad.
Conclusion
The three initiatives examined above, namely a government-supported investment scheme for SME consolidation, JSDF retiree re-employment assistance, and a state-backed organization tasked with supporting exports, could have the potential to form a mechanism that can help provide SMEs with business stability, human resources, and export opportunities.
However, while JMOD has proposed the establishment of individual institutional platforms for each of these initiatives as part of its fiscal 2027 budget request, there is little evidence to suggest that the ministry is considering connecting them to form a more comprehensive mechanism, potentially resulting in an incoherent stovepiped approach.
Moreover, it remains uncertain how each initiative will function or perform, with various funding levels remaining undetermined pending the government’s strategic review due by the end of the year and – in the case of the JSDF retiree agency – ongoing deliberations within JMOD regarding institutional arrangements.
Nevertheless, further details and funding allocations are likely to emerge later this year amid the ongoing strategic review and the finalization of the defense budget. For this process, the government should consider how to tie the initiatives examined together in order to provide a more comprehensive support mechanism for SMEs operating in the defense sector.
Notes:
**1 USD = 159.72 JPY
[1] JMOD, “防衛力の変革に向けた予算－令和９年度概算要求の概要－” [Budget for Transforming Defense Capabilities: Overview of the FY2027 Budget Request], August 31, 2026, p.29, https://www.mod.go.jp/j/budget/yosan_gaiyo/fy2027/yosan_20260831.pdf.
[2] Yomiuri Shimbun, “Japan Eyes Government Support for Small, Midsize Firms in Defense Sector”. The Japan News, August 25, 2026, https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/defense-security/20260825-345384/.
[3] Kyodo, “退職隊員庁、110人規模に 防衛省、外局新設を要求” [Ministry of Defense Seeks New Independent Agency for Retired Personnel, Targeting Staff of 110]. Yahoo News, August 23, 2026, https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/5756195502befbd5c27988c2dd4ced805de9fce8.
[4] JMOD, 令和８年版防衛白書 [2026 Defense of Japan White Paper], p.563, https://www.mod.go.jp/j/press/wp/wp2026/pdf/R08zenpen.pdf.
[5] JMOD, “防衛力の変革に向けた予算－令和９年度概算要求の概要－” [Budget for Transforming Defense Capabilities: Overview of the FY2027 Budget Request], August 31, 2026, p.13, https://www.mod.go.jp/j/budget/yosan_gaiyo/fy2027/yosan_20260831.pdf.
[6] Yomiuri Shimbun, Ibid.
[7] Mainichi Shimbun, “Japan’s defense buildup draws small, midsize manufacturers into surging demand”, August 22, 2026, https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20260820/p2a/00m/0bu/026000c.
[8] ATLA, “Defense Production and Technology Base”, February 2026, p.2, https://www.mod.go.jp/en/d_policy/defense-capability-transformation/images/4th_19-feb-2026b.pdf.
[9] JMOD, “Summary of Recommendations from the “Expert Panel on Fundamental Reinforcement of Defense Capabilities” (September 19, 2025) (2/2) ”, ; JMOD, “「防衛力の抜本的強化に関する有識者会議」報告書” [Report: “Expert Panel on Fundamental Reinforcement of Defense Capabilities”], September 19, 2025, p.9, https://www.mod.go.jp/j/policy/agenda/meeting/drastic-reinforcement/pdf/siryo06_02.pdf.
[10] LDP, “新たな国家安全保障戦略等の策定に向けた提言” [Recommendations for Formulating a New National Security Strategy and Related Policies], June 9, 2026, p.17, https://storage2.jimin.jp/pdf/news/policy/213608_1.pdf.
[11] JMOD, “Extraordinary Press Conference by Defense Minister Koizumi on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at 04:06 PM”, https://www.mod.go.jp/en/article/2026/05/f6b4039c7f4ba3d7b19deed491cad7df78df06fe.html.
[12] Kyodo, Ibid.
[13] Keidanren, “防衛生産・技術基盤の抜本的強化に向けて” [Towards the Fundamental Reinforcement of the Defense Production and Technology Base], May 19, 2026, https://www.keidanren.or.jp/policy/2026/026_honbun.html.
[14] JMOD, “自衛官としての知識・技能・経験を活かした再就職の拡充の取組” [Efforts to expand re-employment opportunities that utilize the knowledge, skills, and experience of Self-Defense Force personnel], https://www.mod.go.jp/j/profile/reemploy/efforts.html.
[15] JMOD, “防衛力の変革に向けた予算－令和９年度概算要求の概要－” [Budget for Transforming Defense Capabilities: Overview of the FY2027 Budget Request], August 31, 2026, p.13, https://www.mod.go.jp/j/budget/yosan_gaiyo/fy2027/yosan_20260831.pdf.
[16] LDP, Ibid.
