Thales plans to establish defense equipment support base in Japan — The Japan Times

French defense company Thales plans to establish a maintenance and operational support base in Japan for Japanese defense equipment. As The Japan Times reports, the Japanese business newspaper Nikkei describes this as a possible first case in which a foreign defense company will open a specialized facility in the country for servicing and operating Japanese military equipment.

Long-term presence

Thales Chairman and CEO Patrice Caine told Nikkei that the base is expected to become an important milestone for the company's long-term operations in Japan. According to the publication, Thales already supplies equipment to the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

Nikkei also reports that the company may later expand its Japanese business into the civilian sector. Caine named radar and sonar technologies among possible areas of cooperation and said that Thales seeks to provide support in areas where it has advantages in equipment performance.

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Mortar production

According to Nikkei, Thales will transfer technology to its Japanese partner, Japan Steel Works. Production of the 2R2M heavy mortar system in Japan is planned to begin next year.

The report comes amid Japan's increased defense spending due to China's rapid military buildup and North Korea's unpredictability. The article notes that the government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is moving away from the traditional pacifist approach that limited the use of force to self-defense.