Pakistan, Aug. 8 -- Japan's Defence Ministry plans to request a record $56 billion defence budget for fiscal 2027. Tokyo is accelerating its military buildup amid growing regional security concerns.

The ministry is expected to seek 8.9 trillion yen in defence spending. The request will be submitted to Japan's Finance Ministry by the end of August.

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A senior government official said total defence spending could eventually reach about 10 trillion yen. The final amount could increase during year-end budget negotiations.

The proposed budget will focus on preparing Japan's Self-Defence Forces for emerging forms of warfare. Key priorities include drones, artificial intel...